NORTHERN IRELAND

Departmental Grants

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what grants have been awarded by his Department in 2010-11 to date; what grants he plans to award in each of the next two years; what the monetary value is of each such grant; and to which organisations such grants are made.

Owen Paterson: My Department has not awarded any grants in the current financial year and does not intend to award any grants in each of the next two financial years.

Departmental Grants

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the monetary value of grants awarded by his Department was in 2009-10; and how much he expects to award in grants in  (a) 2010-11 and  (b) 2011-12.

Owen Paterson: Comparable figures for the Department as it is now configured are not available for the period prior to the completion of devolution of policing and justice powers on 12 April 2010.
	The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) does not intend to award any grants in 2010-11 or 2011-12.

Departmental Sponsorship

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what expenditure  (a) his Department and  (b) its non-departmental public bodies incurred on sponsorship in each year since 1997 for which figures are available.

Owen Paterson: Comparable figures for the Department as it is now configured are not available following the completion of devolution of policing and justice powers on 12 April 2010.
	Since 12 April, the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) and its NDPB have not incurred any expenditure on sponsorship.

UN Food and Agriculture Organisation

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the compliance of  (a) his Department and  (b) its non-departmental public bodies with the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation's criteria for sourcing sustainable timber.

Owen Paterson: The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) has no requirement to source timber. Any procurement undertaken by the Department is carried out under central Government guidelines.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Departmental Conferences

Robert Halfon: To ask the Leader of the House what steps he has taken since his appointment to reduce expenditure on conferences from budgets within his responsibility.

George Young: The Office of the Leader of the House of Commons has no budget allocation for this type of expenditure for the financial year 2010-11.

Members: Correspondence

David Lammy: To ask the Leader of the House when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Tottenham of 5 November 2010.

George Young: I replied to the right hon. Gentleman's letter on 1 December 2010.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Parliamentary Archives: Publications

David Amess: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, if he will place in the Library a copy of each publication produced by the Parliamentary Archives in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

John Thurso: The recent publications of the Parliamentary Archives are not formally deposited in the Library of either House, but are instead freely available to Members and the public from the Archives' searchroom on the second floor of the House of Lords and also on the parliamentary website at:
	http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/parliamentary-archives/archives-pubs-reviews/
	and
	http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/parliamentary-archives/archives-userguides/
	The forthcoming book Victoria Tower Treasures will be available to purchase from the Parliamentary Bookshop or the Archives' searchroom from 13 December 2010.

Parliamentary Archives: Publications

David Amess: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, what accessions have been made to the Parliamentary Archives in each of the last 11 years; what guidance is issued about the type of material accepted by the Parliamentary Archives; and if he will make a statement.

John Thurso: A list of accessions can be found at the back of each Parliamentary Archives' Annual Report from 1999 to 2007-08 on the parliamentary website, here:
	http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/parliamentary-archives/archives-pubs-reviews/
	A consolidated list of these accessions including 2008-09, plus a list of accessions for 2009-10, will be deposited in the Library of the House of Commons.
	The Parliamentary Archives "Collection and Acquisition Policy" is available from the Archives' searchroom on the second floor of the House of Lords, and on the parliamentary website, here:
	http://www.parliament.uk/documents/upload/archivesacquisitionpolicy09.pdf

Parliamentary Archives: Visits

David Amess: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many people visited the Parliamentary Archives in each year since 2006-07; and if he will make a statement.

John Thurso: Visits to the searchroom by members of the public researching for family history, local history, academic and educational work, media, legal and other business purposes were:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2006-07 1,024 
			 2007-08 1,133 
			 2008-09 980 
			 2009-10 925 
		
	
	This figure does not include numbers attending on group tours.

TRANSPORT

Cycling Proficiency

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department plans to take to promote cycling proficiency; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Baker: We have already announced Bikeability will be supported for the remainder of this Parliament. In 2010-11 £11 million is available to fund up to 275,000 'Bikeability' Level 2 cycle-training places for children. £500,000 is available for bursaries to train new cycle training instructors.
	We expect to announce details of funding for Bikeability training the next four years very shortly.

Concessionary Travel

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has for the future age of eligibility for the national concessionary travel scheme.

Norman Baker: The eligible age for concessionary travel for both men and women is linked to the state pension age for women. As the pensionable age for women increases from 60 to 65, so too will the age of eligibility for concessionary travel. The age of eligibility will increase in line with any future changes to the state pension age for women, a policy initiated by the last Government.

Road Safety

Mark Pawsey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of road traffic accidents involving young people.

Michael Penning: In September 2010 we issued road safety teaching materials for secondary schools. I have also announced several changes to the driving tests to help young people prepare better to drive safely on their own. The Driving Standards Agency is also promoting a Foundation Course in Safe Road Use. The general improvements in road safety have also benefited young people. The UK has the safest roads in the world and we have seen large reductions in child deaths and injuries, which mean we are now among the best performing EU countries on children's casualties.
	I am considering whether additional measures might be added to these changes.

High Speed 1

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made on the sale of High Speed 1; and if he will make a statement.

Philip Hammond: The sale of HS1 Ltd.-the High Speed 1 concessionaire-was completed on 18 November 2010. The purchaser is a consortium comprising Borealis Infrastructure Management and Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan. The acquisition value was just under £2.1 billion.

Railways: North West

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has for the future of rail connections between Preston and Merseyside; and if he will make a statement.

Theresa Villiers: On 25 November 2010, the Secretary of State for Transport confirmed the Government's plans on electrification in the North West. We expect Network Rail to have completed this project by 2016, allowing electric trains to run between Liverpool and Preston and onwards to Blackpool.

Roads: Accidents

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many road traffic  (a) fatalities,  (b) injuries and  (c) accidents have occurred on the A1307 between Haverhill and Cambridge in each year since 1996.

Michael Penning: The number of reported  (a) fatalities,  (b) injuries and  (c) personal injury road accidents on the A1307 (at the junction with A143 Wratting Road Haverhill) and the A1307 (at the junction with A603 Lensfield Road Cambridge) is given in the following table:
	
		
			   Fatalities  Injuries  Accidents 
			 1996 3 91 59 
			 1997 1 112 65 
			 1998 2 101 56 
			 1999 5 119 70 
			 2000 1 105 66 
			 2001 1 103 65 
			 2002 4 90 58 
			 2003 3 105 79 
			 2004 1 126 80 
			 2005 1 115 66 
			 2006 3 114 70 
			 2007 3 92 61 
			 2008 6 103 74 
			 2009 1 63 45

Rolling Stock: Procurement

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has for the number of railway carriages on the Wharfedale and Airedale lines.

Michael Penning: Following my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport's statement on 25 November 2010,  Official Report, columns 52-54WS, regarding railway investment, I can confirm that the Department for Transport has already re-started discussions with Northern Trains with a view to providing an increased number of carriages on the Wharfedale and Airedale lines, as well as other areas of the franchise. We intend to make an announcement next year.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Departmental Reviews

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what departmental policy reviews his Department has undertaken since 6 May 2010; on what date each such review  (a) was announced and  (b) is expected to publish its findings; what estimate he has made of the cost of each such review; who has been appointed to lead each such review; to what remuneration each review leader is entitled; how many (i) full-time equivalent civil servants and (ii) seconded staff are working on each such review; from which organisations such staff have been seconded; and how much on average such seconded staff will be paid for their work on the review.

Bob Neill: The information requested has been placed in the Library of the House.

Fire Services

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he expects the Fire Futures Review to conclude; and what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of that review.

Bob Neill: The Fire Futures strategic review of the Fire and Rescue Service is a sector led project on fire and rescue provision in England.
	The report will be presented to me by the sector shortly and a copy published on the departmental website thereafter. A copy will also be made available for the Library of the House.
	No estimate of the costs of Fire Futures has been undertaken, but the review places no additional costs on the public purse as all resources have been given freely by the sector or provided from within DCLG existing staffing resources.

Fire Services: Finance

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding from central Government grants was allocated to each fire service in each of the last five years; and how much such funding he plans to allocate in each year of the spending review period.

Bob Neill: The amount of central Government grants paid to each single purpose fire and rescue authority in England from 2005-06 to 2009-10 is set out in the following table.
	We will announce our proposals for the local government finance settlement for 2011-12 in the usual manner in due course.
	
		
			  £000 
			   2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 
			 Greater Manchester Fire and CD Authority 81,332 71,326 73,921 74,295 75,247 
			 Merseyside Fire and CD Authority 52,019 44,198 45,391 45,845 47,172 
			 South Yorkshire Fire and CD Authority 37,257 33,954 35,047 35,678 36,664 
			 Tyne and Wear Fire and CD Authority 41,818 37,419 38,235 38,857 39,075 
			 West Midlands Fire and CD Authority 82,093 75,875 78,364 80,980 82,662 
			 West Yorkshire Fire and CD Authority 59,788 52,124 53,043 57,7:45 56,368 
			 Avon Combined Fire Authority 25,796 24,520 25,257 24,632 25,713 
			 Bedfordshire Combined Fire Authority 10,924 10,271 10,593 10,919 11,295 
			 Berkshire Combined Fire Authority 15,034 14,721 15,119 15,547 15,503 
			 Buckinghamshire Combined Fire Authority 11,021 11,597 11,954 12,382 12,342 
			 Cambridgeshire Combined Fire Authority 12,767 11,952 12,479 13,553 14,064 
			 Cheshire Combined Fire Authority 17,086 15,818 16,897 17,523 18,489 
			 Cleveland Combined Fire Authority 22,794 21,364 21,940 22,160 22,270 
			 Derbyshire Combined Fire Authority 18,497 16,220 16,989 18,454 19,202 
			 Devon Combined Fire Authority1 22,927 21,082 (1)- (1)- (1)- 
			 Devon and Somerset Combined Fire Authority' (1)- (1)- 33,201 39,353 39,875 
			 Dorset Combined Fire Authority 12,325 10,533 10,799 12,192 13,350 
			 Durham Combined Fire Authority 14,410 13,154 13,441 13,784 14,193 
			 East Sussex Combined Fire Authority 15,019 13,412 13,835 14,107 14,349 
			 Essex Combined Fire Authority 30,982 29,070 30,742 30,859 32,812 
			 Hampshire Combined Fire Authority 28,571 27,969 28,395 29,240 30,202 
			 Hereford and Worcester Combined Fire Authority 11,931 10,971 11,390 11,628 11,754 
			 Humberside Combined Fire Authority 25,742 23,716 24,765 25,578 26,456 
			 Kent Combined Fire Authority 30,904 28,366 29,493 30,703 30,296 
			 Lancashire Combined Fire Authority 35,608 33,143 34,008 34,093 34,091 
			 Leicestershire Combined Fire Authority 17,447 17,890 18,542 19,388 19,814 
			 North Yorkshire Combined Fire Authority 14,221 13,027 13,361 13,640 13,415 
			 Nottinghamshire Combined Fire Authority 21,734 20,280 21,557 23,295 24,349 
			 Shropshire Combined Fire Authority 7,219 6,936 7,195 7,669 7,975 
			 Staffordshire Combined Fire Authority 17,509 16,278 17,451 17,654 18,152 
			 Wiltshire Combined Fire Authority 9,008 8,886 9,152 9,632 9,801 
			 (1) Not applicable owing to local authority re-organisation.   Source:  Department for Communities and Local Government revenue outturn (RO) returns. 
		
	
	The figures for other local authorities providing a fire service are not available as the formula grant is an unhypothecated grant.
	The definition of central Government grant used here is the sum of formula grant (revenue support grant and redistributed non-domestic rates), specific grants inside Aggregate External Finance (i.e. revenue grants paid for council's core services) and from 2008-09 it also includes area based grant.
	Comparison across years may not be valid owing to changing local authority responsibilities and changes to funding methodology.

Fire Services: Manpower

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether his Department has made an estimate of the frontline firefighter staffing levels required by each fire service.

Bob Neill: Decisions on operational issues such as firefighter staffing levels are taken by individual fire and rescue authorities as part of the Integrated Risk Management Planning process.
	The Government are committed to enabling local authorities and local communities to make appropriate decisions at the local level. Fire and rescue authorities are required by the Fire and Rescue Service National Framework to have in place and maintain an Integrated Risk Management Plan which reflects local need and sets out plans to tackle effectively both existing and potential risks to communities. Each fire and rescue authority's Management Plan enables that individual authority to decide how best to provide fire and rescue-related services, including prevention and protection as well as response, with resources being allocated on the basis of the evaluation of risk and where the risks are greatest.
	Local requirements are thus determined by local people according to local circumstances.
	For those reasons, no formal estimate or scrutiny of the frontline firefighter staffing levels required by each individual fire and rescue service has been made by central Government.

Local Government Finance: Somerset

Jacob Rees-Mogg: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the likely effects on his Department's funding for Bath and North East Somerset Council of the combined application of damping and freezing ring-fenced grants and moving into formula grant in 2011-12; what funding his Department provided for the Council in  (a) 2009-10 and  (b) 2010-11; what funding it expects to provide in 2011-12; what methodology his Department used to determine such figures in respect of each such year; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: holding answer 25 November 2010
	Funding provided for Bath and North East Somerset council by the Department for Communities and Local Government in 2009-10 and 2010-11 is detailed in the following table:
	
		
			  £ million 
			   Specific and area based grants( 1)  Formula grant 
			 2009-10 5.180 39.993 
			 2010-11(2) 10.762 41.559 
			 (1) Does not include national non-domestic rates outturn adjustment amounts. (2) Includes grants due to be paid throughout the financial year. 
		
	
	Methodologies used to determine formula grant and special and specific grants from the Department for Communities and Local Government are available on the Department website at the following addresses:
	http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/ssas.htm
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/localgovernment/local governmentfinance/areabasedgrant/
	We will announce our proposals for the local government finance settlement for 2011-12 in the usual manner in due course.

Mortgages

Robert Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with the Financial Services Authority on its assessment of the effect on house prices of the introduction of its mortgage market proposals; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  whether he has assessed the effect on the  (a) housing market and  (b) supply of new homes of the mortgage market review proposals made by the Financial Services Authority; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  whether he has discussed with the Council of Mortgage Lenders the likely effect on the housing market of the Financial Services Authority's proposals for responsible lending.

Grant Shapps: The new Government are committed to supporting aspiration to home ownership and share the underlying objective of the Mortgage Market Review to create a stable, sustainable market for all participants. We must avoid the boom and bust that the property market has experienced in the last decade.
	We want to see a regulatory framework that supports access to home ownership and new housing supply while preventing repossessions.
	The Government believe the Financial Service's Authority's changes must be proportionate and avoid unnecessary prescription on the mortgage industry.
	My officials have worked closely with the Financial Services Authority and the Council of Mortgage Lenders on these proposals and will continue to do so. I have discussions with Treasury Ministers on a range of issues relating to my ministerial brief.

Mortgages

Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his policy is on financial assistance to first-time homebuyers who commit a large proportion of their income in mortgage payments in order to get on to the property ladder.

Grant Shapps: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Poole (Mr Syms) on 1 December 2010,  Official Report, column 848W.

Mortgages

Marcus Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the likely effect on  (a) the housing market and  (b) levels of home ownership of the Financial Services Authority's proposals on the mortgage market.

Grant Shapps: The new Government are committed to supporting aspiration to home ownership and share the underlying objective of the Mortgage Market Review to create a stable, sustainable market for all participants. We must avoid the boom and bust that the property market has experienced in the last decade.
	We want to see a regulatory framework that supports access to home ownership and new housing supply while preventing repossessions.
	The Government believe the Financial Service's Authority's changes must be proportionate and avoid unnecessary prescription on the mortgage industry.
	My officials have worked closely with the Financial Services Authority and the Council of Mortgage Lenders on these proposals and will continue to do so. I have discussions with Treasury Ministers on a range of issues relating to my ministerial brief.

Public Expenditure

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  whether his Department plans to agree a budget settlement with local authorities for the whole of the spending review period;
	(2)  what arrangements his Department is making to provide information to local authorities on likely changes to their funding over the period of the comprehensive spending review in order to allow strategic budgetary planning.

Bob Neill: We will announce our proposals for the local government finance settlement for 2011-12 in the usual manner in due course.

Social Rented Housing

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the average rent for social housing in Bolton as a proportion of local market rents in the latest period for which figures are available; and what estimate he has made of the average rent for social housing in England as a proportion of market rents in the latest period for which figures are available.

Grant Shapps: Data on local authority average weekly rents by district in 2009-10 are available from the Department's website via the following link:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/xls/1777605.xls
	Data on average weekly RSL rents by district as at 31 March 2010 are available from the Department's website via the following link:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/xls/141632.xls
	Estimating market rents of social sector properties is not straightforward and different approaches can be taken. One example is in research carried out by Professor Steve Wilcox for DCLG where an assessment of regional social rents in comparison to market levels is made in terms of the capital value of the property, rental yield and housing association management and maintenance costs:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/housing/rentspolicyanalysis
	Our new delivery model for affordable housing will allow housing associations to set rents of up to 80% of market rent on some properties. The development of the delivery model will include specifying how market rents for housing association properties will be determined. We are working up our policy on the new delivery model at present and will publish more details early next year.

SCOTLAND

STV Independent Producer Status

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the Department for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport on the decision not to grant STV independent producer status.

David Mundell: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 15 November 2010,  Official Report, column 530W.

Alternative Vote: Referendum

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the Interim Electoral Management Board in Scotland on the proposed joint ballot for the referendum on the alternative vote and elections to the Scottish Parliament in 2010.

David Mundell: The Secretary of State has been in contact with the board on this matter. I have discussed it with the convener and will be having further discussions with her later this month.

Alternative Vote: Referendum

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many meetings he has had with the First Minister on holding the referendum on the alternative vote system on the same day as the Scottish Parliament elections.

David Mundell: The Secretary of State last met the First Minister on 16 September, where they discussed a range of matters of importance to Scotland.

Asylum: Glasgow

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the UK Border Agency on the recent cancellation of a contract with Glasgow city council to house and support asylum seekers in Glasgow.

David Mundell: The Secretary of State for Scotland and I are in regular contact with ministerial colleagues in the Home Office on matters related to immigration and asylum. In addition, senior officials in the Scotland Office have regular discussions with the UK Border Agency's Director for Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Asylum: Glasgow

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the leader of Glasgow city council on the recent cancellation of a UK Border Agency contract with that council to house and support asylum seekers in Glasgow.

David Mundell: Both I and the Secretary of State for Scotland have had meetings with Councillor Gordon Matheson, the leader of Glasgow city council, most recently on 4 November, and discussed a range of matters of importance to Glasgow.

Clyde Naval Base

Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had on the likely effect on the number of people employed at HMNB Clyde of the planned reduction in members of  (a) the Civilian Ministry of Defence and  (b) Royal Navy personnel.

David Mundell: In the discussions the Secretary of State for Scotland, my right hon. Friend the Member for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk (Michael Moore) has had with the Secretary of State for Defence, the right hon. Member for North Somerset (Dr Fox) it has been clear that it is still too early to judge the effects on specific locations of the planned reductions in the number of service and civilian personnel. He will discuss these issues again before his visit to HMNB Clyde early in 2011.

Departmental Official Visits

Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he  (a) last visited and  (b) next plans to visit Glasgow East constituency.

Michael Moore: I have made a number of visits to Glasgow since my appointment and plan further such visits.

Domestic Violence: Housing Benefit

Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with  (a) Scottish Women's Aid and  (b) Glasgow East Women's Aid on the likely effects on victims of domestic abuse living in refuge accommodation in Scotland of proposed changes in housing benefit arrangements; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Moore: I have not had the opportunity to discuss the proposed changes in housing benefits arrangements with Scottish Women's Aid or Glasgow East Women's Aid.

Employment Schemes: Scotland

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the Department for Work and Pensions on the likely effects on Scotland of the timetable for implementing the Government's decision to end employment zones.

David Mundell: The Secretary of State for Scotland and I are in regular contact with ministerial colleagues on the effects on Scotland of the development and implementation of the Work programme, which will be launched next year. The Government want to ensure that as many people benefit from the Work programme as soon as possible, and will launch the Work programme as soon as providers are ready to start delivery in each contract package area. It is not sustainable to run two sets of contracts simultaneously and we have started running down existing contracts in a way that is sensible and affordable. We expect the Work programme to be in place nationwide from summer 2011, and will ensure that nobody is left unsupported in the meantime.

Foreign Workers: Scotland

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the likely effects on Scotland of the Government's proposed cap on the number of non-EU migrants.

David Mundell: The Secretary of State for Scotland and I have been in regular contact with the Home Secretary on how changes in immigration policy will affect Scotland.

Fuel Poverty: Scotland

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he had with ministerial colleagues on the effect of energy price increases on the level of fuel poverty in Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

David Mundell: Fuel poverty measures in Scotland are a matter for the Scottish Ministers. The UK Government welcome the announcement of Ofgem's review of the effectiveness of its recent consumer protection and competition measures. The Department for Energy and Climate Change is in discussion with the Scottish Government about how the powers in the Energy Security and Green Economy Bill to implement the Green Deal in Scotland can best support the Scottish Government's fuel poverty targets. The Bill is to be launched this month.

Higher Education

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many meetings he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills to discuss student finance in respect of cross-border students since his appointment.

David Mundell: The Secretary of State for Scotland and I have been in regular contact with ministerial colleagues in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on a range of matters important to Scotland, including student finance.

Higher Education

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received from universities in Scotland on student funding in respect of cross-border students.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office has not received any representations from universities in Scotland about student funding in relation to cross-border students.

Higher Education

Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had on the likely effects of the planned reduction in spending on higher education on  (a) higher education institutions in Scotland and  (b) Clydebank College.

David Mundell: Policy and funding responsibility for further and higher education in Scotland is devolved to the Scottish Government. It is for Scottish Ministers to consider the effects of their decisions on spending on higher education institutions and colleges in Scotland.

Housing Benefit: Scotland

Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions on the likely effects of the implementation of proposed changes to housing benefit arrangement on people living in  (a) social and  (b) private rented housing in Scotland.

David Mundell: The Secretary of State for Scotland, my right hon. Friend the Member for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk (Michael Moore) has had a number of discussions on the proposed changes to housing benefit with a range of people.

Postal Services: Scotland

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on the effect on postal services in Scotland of the Government's plans for Royal Mail; and if he will make a statement.

David Mundell: The Secretary of State for Scotland, my right hon. Friend the Member for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk (Michael Moore) has regular exchanges with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable) on a range of issues.
	The Government are committed to securing the long term future of the Royal Mail and the Post Office-and to preserving the universal postal service for everyone in the UK. These twin objectives are at the heart of the Postal Services Bill.

Remploy: Scotland

Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had in the  (a) review of Remploy in Scotland and  (b) likely effects of the outcomes of that review on the Remploy Frontline Textiles facility in Clydebank.

David Mundell: As part of the Government's commitment to increase the transparency and accountability of all public services we plan to substantially reform a large number of public bodies. The functions of Remploy are being reviewed as part of the reform process and are still under consideration.

Royal Mail

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he most recently met representatives of  (a) sub-postmasters and  (b) Royal Mail employees to discuss the Government's future plans for Royal Mail.

David Mundell: The Secretary of State for Scotland, my right hon. Friend the Member for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk (Michael Moore) recently met with representatives of Royal Mail Group when a range of issues including the Post Office network in Scotland was discussed.

Scottish Parliament (Elections etc.) Order 2010

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the Leader of the House on the timing of the laying of the draft Scottish Parliament (Elections etc.) Order 2010.

David Mundell: Neither the Secretary of State for Scotland nor I have had discussions with the Leader of the House on the timing of the laying of the draft Scottish Parliament (Elections etc.) Order 2010. The draft order was laid before Parliament on 25 October.

Tourism: Scotland

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the likely effects on the tourism industry in Scotland of the proposed increase in the rate of value added tax.

David Mundell: The VAT rise is part of the Government's credible plan to tackle the largest deficit in peacetime history. Difficult decisions are necessary, but we are creating the conditions needed for all businesses to grow. This will benefit the Scottish economy and a VAT rise is preferable to even steeper spending cuts that would damage our ability to grow the economy. In an international context, at 20%, the UK VAT rate will still be below the EU average.

UN Food and Agriculture Organisation

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the compliance of his Department with the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation's criteria for sourcing sustainable timber.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office's building contractors routinely use timber from sustainable sources.

Universities: Scotland

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what meetings he has had with representatives of universities in Scotland in the last four months.

David Mundell: I refer the hon. Member to the answers given on 3 November 2010,  Official Report, column 804W and 16 November 2010,  Official Report, column 658W.

Voluntary Organisations: Public Expenditure

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent meetings he has had with  (a) voluntary,  (b) disability and  (c) charity organisations in Scotland to discuss the effects of the outcomes of the comprehensive spending review.

David Mundell: The Secretary of State for Scotland, my right hon. Friend the Member for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk (Michael Moore) is in contact with a number of organisations in Scotland to discuss the effects of the outcomes of the spending review. The spending review sets out how the Government will carry out Britain's unavoidable plan to reduce the largest deficit in peacetime history. Alongside growth, the Government have prioritised fairness, including reforming the welfare system to put it on a sustainable long term footing, while providing sustained routes out of poverty for the poorest.

Women's Aid: Scotland

Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he  (a) last visited and  (b) next plans to visit (i) Scottish Women's Aid and (ii) Glasgow East Women's Aid.

Michael Moore: I have not yet had the opportunity to visit Scottish Women's Aid or Glasgow East Women's Aid.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Carbon Emissions

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assumptions he has made in respect of global carbon prices in 2030.

Gregory Barker: DECC calculates carbon values to be used across Government in the assessment of the costs and benefits of energy and climate change policies:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/what_we_do/lc_uk/valuation/valuation.aspx
	The approach used to calculate the global 2030 carbon value is based on the abatement cost in 2030 required to achieve a global emission trajectory that is likely to limit dangerous climate change to less than two degrees centigrade. Based on this approach, our current analysis suggest a central carbon value in 2030 of £70/tCO2e (in 2009 prices).

Energy Supply: Costs

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will bring forward proposals to enable Ofgem to require major energy providers to disclose the price they pay for energy supplies.

Charles Hendry: Currently we have no plans to bring forward the proposals the hon. Member asks about. Following their probe into energy retail markets, Ofgem introduced new rules requiring the big six energy suppliers to publish segmental reports including details of the revenues, costs and profits of their generation and supply of electricity and supply of gas. These reports contain details of each supplier's total fuel costs and volumes.
	The reports for each supplier can be found online at:
	http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Markets/RetMkts/ensuppro/Documents1/location%20of%20these%20accounting% 20statements%20on%20each%20suppliers%20website.pdf
	In addition, we support Ofgem's recently announced review into the effectiveness of the retail energy market. This will, among other things, scrutinise these segmental reports to see if further action is needed to protect consumers. This announcement is available online at:
	http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Media/PressRel/Documents1/Retail%20Market%2026%20November.pdf

Heating: Fluorocarbons

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he made of the level of consumption of fluorocarbons attributable to the recharging of heat pumps  (a) nationally and  (b) on the Government estate in the latest year for which figures are available.

Gregory Barker: A DECC/DEFRA recent review of hydrofluorocarbons (HFC) consumption and emissions forecasting estimated that 0.05 kilo tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalence of HFCs was emitted from ground source heat pumps in the UK in 2008, based on 3,500 installed heat pumps. No estimates are available for the proportion of these emissions that are from the Government estate. The review emphasises that these estimates are very small in relation to HFCs emissions from other sectors.

Nuclear Power Stations: Construction

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has had with energy providers to draw on their international experience to assist the on-schedule delivery of new nuclear builds in the UK.

Charles Hendry: I have regular discussions with the energy providers and it is clear that it is in their interest to draw on their experience of new build nuclear around the world to assist with delivery in the UK.
	At the last Nuclear Development Forum on 28 October I also announced the publication of an Engineering the Future report "Nuclear Lessons Learned"(1) which highlights the lessons learnt from design and construction experience, and those learnt from reflection during operation. It highlights good practice and interventions that have worked well and will help all project stakeholders to utilise efficiencies and understand and limit risk, and to minimise potential overruns and delays, which are both expensive and reduce public confidence.
	(1 )Available from:
	http://www.raeng.org.uk/news/publications/list/reports/Nuclear_Lessons_Learned_Oct10.pdf

Renewable Energy

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 19 October 2010,  Official Report, column 648W, on renewable energy, what definition of the term hermetically sealed he uses.

Gregory Barker: Hermetically sealed suggests a system that is impervious to air or gas, i.e. a gas tight heat pump where in normal operation the risk of refrigerant leakage is very small. In such systems the refrigerant flows around pipe work that is continuous, with few mechanical joints.

Renewable Energy: Finance

Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many representations his Department has received from domestic users of onsite renewable energy techniques who  (a) installed technology with the assistance of and  (b) received support from his Department before July 2009.

Gregory Barker: The Department does not hold the information in the form requested and the details could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Sheffield Forgemasters

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what meetings he has had with Sheffield Forgemasters since 1 September 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Hendry: Neither I nor my officials have had any meetings with the company since 1 September 2010 and none have been requested.
	As the Secretary of State for Business stated in his written ministerial statement to the House on the 27 July this year:
	"The Government's decision to cancel the £80 million loan for a new 15,000 tonne press that had been conditionally offered to Sheffield Forgemasters by the last government was taken on the grounds of affordability. Sheffield Forgemasters is a great British company with a dedicated, highly-skilled workforce and a strong senior management team. The Government's decision is no reflection on the company's staff, directors or this particular project".

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Developing Countries: HIV Infection

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  whether his Department has plans to encourage the integration of  (a) diagnosis and  (b) treatment services for HIV and tuberculosis in international programmes to reduce their incidence; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what recent assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of international programmes to reduce the number of people living with HIV who die from tuberculosis.

Stephen O'Brien: The UK Government will continue to support programmes that focus on both HIV and tuberculosis (TB), and on strengthening underlying health systems in order to improve the way health services diagnose and treat illnesses, including TB and TB-HIV co-infection.
	The Department for International Development (DFID) is currently reviewing all its bilateral and multilateral aid programmes to ensure UK aid is effective, represents value for money and accelerates progress towards all the millennium development goals. As set out in DFID's Business Plan 2011-15, we will specify our objectives on restricting the spread of diseases like TB, HIV, and malaria by May 2011.

Developing Countries: HIV Infection

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment his Department has made of the effect of HIV/tuberculosis co-infection on maternal and child mortality; and what plans he has to address this issue in his Department's Maternal Health Business Plan.

Stephen O'Brien: HIV and tuberculosis (TB) co-infection is a risk factor for maternal and newborn mortality and child survival. The UK Government believe the interaction is most effectively tackled by prevention strategies as well as strengthening health systems and services overall. We believe it is important to support an integrated approach to health services delivery, including TB and HIV screening as part of routine antenatal and postpartum care.
	The Department for International Development (DFID) is currently reviewing all its bilateral and multilateral aid programmes to ensure UK aid is effective, represents value for money and accelerates progress towards all the millennium development goals.
	The Framework for Action for Reproductive, Maternal and Newborn Health will be published by the end of the year and we will specify our objectives on restricting the spread of diseases like TB, HIV, and malaria by May 2011.

Food: Prices

Michael McCann: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the effect on  (a) food prices and  (b) food security in developing countries of financial speculation on agricultural commodities; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen O'Brien: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 29 November 2010,  Official Report, column 617W, on Developing Countries: Food.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Access to Work Programme

Heidi Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what guidance he has issued to Access to Work advisers in the last 12 months; and if he will place in the Library a copy of each such item of guidance.

Maria Miller: Guidance for Access to Work advisers is regularly reviewed and updated. In the last 12 months there have been six updates of the Access to Work guidance product. I have made arrangements for each version to be placed in the Library.

Access to Work Programme: North East

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in  (a) the North East and  (b) Gateshead borough participated in the Access to Work programme in each year since 2007-08.

Maria Miller: The following table the number of individuals helped on the Access to Work programme each year since April 2007 and up to 30 June 2010(1):
	
		
			  Area  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10  Q1 2010-11 
			 North East Government office region 1,760 1,890 2,190 1,310 
			 Gateshead local authority 160 180 210 130 
			 Gateshead parliamentary constituency 60 70 70 40 
			 Great Britain 27,730 32,130 37,300 24,340 
			 (1) Source-Access to Work database. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.

Atos

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what criteria are used to determine geographic location of each testing centre used by Atos under its contract with his Department.

Chris Grayling: The Department is committed to provide a network of medical assessment centres that ensure no customer is required to travel more than 90 minutes by public transport to attend a centre. Atos Healthcare operate a network of over 100 centres and their precise location and size takes into account convenience of public transport and local demand for assessment services, as well as the need to keep customer journey times below 90 minutes.

Biocidal Products: EU Law

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of products offered for sale in the UK which are prohibited under the terms of the EU Biocidal Products Directive in the latest period for which figures are available.

Chris Grayling: There are currently a large number of biocidal products that are legally on the UK market without an authorisation under the Biocidal Products Directive (BPD). These products contain active substances that are still being reviewed under the BPD for their potential future inclusion in annex I. Once these reviews are completed, individual products will be assessed and authorised; however, whilst the reviews are taking place the products can continue to be placed onto the market without the need for an authorisation under the directive. The review process began in 2000 but is still in its early stages with decisions reached only on the inclusion of around 40 substances in annex I of the BPD.
	Where industry has chosen not to support an active substance in the BPD, or exceptionally, where a substance has been assessed and found not to meet the criteria for inclusion (sufficient safety and effectiveness) an EU-level 'non-inclusion' decision is taken and a date is set by which the substance has to be taken off the market. The main tranche of active substances required to be withdrawn under the BPD had to be taken off the market by 1 September 2006, though since then a number of other active substances have been subject to non-inclusion decisions where companies have failed to support them. The latest of these was voted on in February 2010, and requires 14 substance/product type combinations to be taken off the market by 1 November 2011.
	Whenever the Helath and Safety Executive has been made aware of products containing substances that are no longer on the market for this reason, it has taken appropriate action by passing the relevant information on to the appropriate enforcing authorities, usually the local trading standards authority.

Complaints: Atos

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) formal complaints and  (b) representations containing complaints his Department has received in respect of its contract with Atos in the last 24 months.

Chris Grayling: The Department does not collate data to enable the reporting of the total number of complaints it receives regarding the medical services contract with Atos Healthcare. However the number of complaints received directly by Atos Healthcare from customers over the last 24 months is in the following table together with the percentage of complaints to examinations completed in that quarter.
	
		
			  Period  Number of complaints received  Percentage of assessments resulting in a complaint 
			 June to August 2010 1,154 0.58 
			 March to May 2010 1,184 0.57 
			 December 2009 to February 2010 1,003 0.53 
			 September to November 2009 1,170 0.58 
			 June to August 2009 1,002 0.48 
			 March to May 2009 966 0.49 
			 December 2008 to February 2009 618 0.41 
			 September 2008 to November 2008 739 0.45

Departmental Sick Leave

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 17 November 2010,  Official Report, column 832W, on departmental sick leave, what information he holds on types of absence other than sickness absence in respect of  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies.

Chris Grayling: The Department for Work and Pensions collates information on a range of absences provided for by legislation and our terms and conditions of employment.
	The different absences recorded by the Department are shown as follows.
	
		
			  Absence category  Paid or unpaid  Examples of the information collected 
			 Accident-injury work related Paid Number of people 
			   Length of time 
			
			 Additional duties Paid Trade union duties 
			   Trade union activities 
			   Health and safety trade union rep 
			   Harassment, discrimination and bullying investigations 
			   Fire and bomb training 
			   First aid training 
			
			 Annual leave/public and privilege leave Paid Not held centrally 
			   Clerical records maintained, but not collated 
			
			 Adoption leave Paid and unpaid Length of time taken (ordinary adoption leave) 
			   Length of time taken (additional adoption leave) 
			
			 Assault work related Paid Length of time 
			
			 Parental leave Unpaid Length of time 
			
			 Part time on medical grounds absence Paid and unpaid Length of time 
			
			 Flexi leave Paid Number of days taken 
			
			 Long service award-leave Paid Number of people 
			
			 Maternity leave Paid and unpaid Length of time taken (ordinary maternity leave) 
			   Length of time taken (additional maternity leave) 
			
			 Paternity leave Paid and unpaid Length of time taken as paid leave 
			   Length of time taken as unpaid leave in statutory period 
			   Length of time taken as unpaid leave outside statutory period 
			
			 Special leave-armed forces Paid and unpaid Number of days taken 
			
			 Special leave-awaiting reasonable adjustments Paid and unpaid Number of days taken 
			
			 Special leave-bereavement Paid and unpaid Number of days taken 
			
			 Special leave-bereavement pandemic flu Paid and unpaid Number of days taken 
			
			 Special leave-compassionate leave Paid and unpaid Number of days taken 
			
			 Special leave-compassionate leave pandemic flu Paid and unpaid Number of days taken 
			
			 Special leave-emergency leave Paid and unpaid Number of days taken 
			
			 Special leave-further education leave Paid and unpaid Number of days taken 
			
			 Special leave-other health and disability leave Paid and unpaid Number of days taken 
			
			 Special leave-public and community leave Paid and unpaid Number of days taken 
			
			 Special leave-trade union related Paid and unpaid Number of days taken 
			
			 Special leave-carers leave Unpaid Length of time taken 
			
			 Special leave-holiday leave Unpaid Length of time taken 
			
			 Special leave-transfer/following partner leave Paid and unpaid Number of days taken 
			
			 Suspension from duty Paid Length of time taken 
			
			 Time off in lieu Paid Length of time taken 
			
			 Successful third party claims Paid Length of time taken 
			
			 Unauthorised absence/strike Unpaid Length of time taken

Disability Living Allowance: Gwent

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Islwyn constituency were in receipt of disability living allowance in each year since 1997.

Maria Miller: The information is reproduced in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of disability living allowance recipients in Islwyn parliamentary constituency since May 1997 
			  As at May:  Number 
			 2010 7,200 
			 2009 6,330 
			 2008 6,190 
			 2007 6,070 
			 2006 5,940 
			 2005 5,810 
			 2004 5,660 
			 2003 5,500 
			 2002 5,270 
			 2001 4,900 
			 2000 4,600 
			 1999 4,300 
			 1998 4,300 
			 1997 4,000 
			  Notes: 1. Figures from May 1997 to May 2001 are taken from 5% sample data. They have been uprated to be consistent with WPLS data and are rounded to the nearest 100. Figures from May 2002 onwards are taken from WPLS 100% data and are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Figures show the number of people in receipt of an allowance, and exclude people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended, for example if they are in hospital. 3. Constituencies used for May 2010 are for the Westminster Parliament of May 2010. Prior to this, the constituencies used are for May 2005. 4.These figures are published at: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?paqe=tabtool and in the House of Commons Library.  Source: DWP Information Directorate: 100% Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS)

Disabled: Public Expenditure

Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his Department has set targets for the number of disabled people it employs in each year of the spending review period.

Chris Grayling: The Department for Work and Pensions has targets in place for the number of disabled people it employs. The current targets were set for the period to March 2011 in line with 'Promoting Equality, Valuing Diversity-A Strategy for the Civil Service'. The Department will be reviewing the position beyond March 2011 shortly.
	
		
			  Department for Work and Pensions: disability representation at different civil service grades (June 2010) 
			  Percentage 
			  Employee grade  Disabled staff  June 2010  Target  March 2011 
			 Senior Civil Service 5.0 5.2 
			 Grade 6/Band G 4.6 5.2 
			 Grade 7/Band F 4.6 5.2 
			 SEO/Band E and HEO/Band D 6.0 5.5 
			 Band EO/C, Band AO/B and Band AA/A 6.5 6.0 
			  Notes: 1. The representation rate is calculated from the number of people who have chosen to declare their disability status. This is the method recommended by the Office for National Statistics. 2. Data are sourced from the Department's internal HR information systems. 3. Civil Service grades cover a diverse range of roles in different posts and functions. Senior Civil Service grade roles are at deputy director, director or director general level, Grade 6/Band G and Grade 7/Band F jobs can be described as senior management roles, SEO/Band E, HEO/Band D and EO/Band C roles are managerial grades, and AO/Band B and AA/Band A grades are administrative roles. 
		
	
	Progress to June 2010 (the latest published figures) is set out in the table. Further information on the Department's progress to meet these targets is published in the Department's "Race, Disability and Gender Equality Schemes Annual Progress Report 2009-10". An electronic copy of this document is available on the Department's website.

Drugs: Nottingham

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many problem drug users resident in  (a) Nottingham,  (b) Plymouth and  (c) Wolverhampton received out-of-work benefits in (i) 2005, (ii) 2006, (iii) 2007, (iv) 2008 and (v) 2009.

Maria Miller: Drug and alcohol addiction is one of the most damaging root causes of poverty, and helping people who are trapped on benefits through drug and alcohol addiction so that they can recover and find employment is a top priority for the Government.
	Information on the number of problem drug users receiving out-of-work benefits is not available for the geographical breakdown requested. However, we do have data on the number of claimants of disability benefits (incapacity benefit, severe disablement allowance and (from February 2010) employment and support allowance) for whom the main disabling condition is listed as drug abuse. It should be noted that these figures refer to claimants whose problems relate to any drugs (including prescription drugs), as opposed to problem drug users (heroin and crack cocaine), and that, as people who do not report drug abuse as their main disabling condition are not captured, they represent a subset of all claimants of these benefits with a drug problem.
	Details are set out in Table 1 as follows. Note that drug dependency does not of itself confer entitlement to disability benefits.
	
		
			  Table 1: Incapacity benefit, severe disablement allowance and (for May 2010) employment and support allowance claimants with main disabling condition of drug abuse, May 2005 to May 2010. 
			  May  Great Britain  Wolverhampton  Nottingham  Plymouth 
			 2005 47,980 190 420 670 
			 2006 48,560 210 470 700 
			 2007 49,890 210 520 700 
			 2008 51,280 230 530 750 
			 2009 44,730 180 430 650 
			 2010 48,170 190 450 710 
			  Notes:  1. Data are rounded to the nearest 10 claimants.  2. These figures refer to claimants whose problems relate to any drugs (including prescription ones), as opposed to problem drug users (heroin and crack cocaine).  3. These figures represent a subset of all claimants of these benefits with a drug problem as people who do not report drug abuse as their main disabling condition are not captured.  4. Incapacity benefit was replaced by employment and support allowance (ESA) for new claimants in October 2008, however information on medical condition is not available on ESA prior to February 2010. Therefore, the figures for May 2010 include ESA claimants but those for May 2009 do not. This should be taken into consideration when interpreting any trends over time.  5. Great Britain total includes a small number of cases resident abroad.   Source:  DWP Information Directorate 100% Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS).

Employment and Support Allowance

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what additional support his Department will put in place to ensure that the needs of employment and support allowance claimants with long-term and fluctuating health conditions are recognised during work capability assessments.

Chris Grayling: The needs of customers with fluctuating and long term conditions are taken into account during the WCA. The assessment is not a snapshot of the effects of a customer's condition or conditions on one day but involves consideration of how those effects will change and fluctuate over time. The health care professionals who carry out the assessments are trained to take account of fluctuating conditions.
	However, we are aware of concerns in this area, and are determined to ensure that the WCA accurately assesses individual's capability for work, and that we improve that accuracy continually over time.
	A Department-led review of the WCA made recommendations that will improve the sensitivity of the WCA to fluctuating conditions and these changes will be implemented next April. In addition, Professor Harrington published an independent review of the WCA on 23 November 2010, and the Government have accepted his recommendations to make the assessment process more empathetic and less mechanistic. The next independent review, which is also being led by Professor Harrington, will look specifically at further improvements to the assessment in relation to fluctuating conditions.

Employment Schemes

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the Work programme.

Chris Grayling: The Work programme will be a black-box, outcome funded programme rewarding delivery partners from the benefit savings generated. Payments to delivery partners will be made for moving customers into work and keeping customers in work. As we will be paying by results after they have occurred, from the savings generated, the cost to the public purse will be driven by the level of performance achieved.
	At this time we are in competitive tendering process for the Work programme. We expect organisations bidding for the Work programme to state in their bids the level of performance they expect to achieve and compete on the price they require. This will enable us to let contracts on the most advantageous economic terms. Until this process is complete indicating Government expectations of Work programme performance and so cost would prejudice our ability to generate optimum value for money for the taxpayer.

Employment: Colchester

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many of the jobs filled in Colchester constituency in October 2010 following advertisement of a vacancy via Jobcentre Plus were  (a) part-time and  (b) full-time.

Chris Grayling: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Darra Singh. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Ruth Owen:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about how many of the jobs filled in Colchester constituency in October 2010 following advertisement of a vacancy via Jobcentre Plus were (a) part-time and (b) full-time. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to Darra Singh as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus. As Darra Singh is currently not available, I am replying in his absence.
	Information about the number of vacancies handled by Jobcentre Plus in Colchester is in the table.
	
		
			  Vacancy information for Colchester parliamentary constituency. October 2010 
			   Full-time( 2)  vacancies  Part-time ( 2)  vacancies 
			 Notified vacancies(1) 807 298 
			 Live unfilled vacancies(1) 608 189 
			 Total vacancy outflow(3) 748 233 
			 (1) Includes self-employed vacancies. (2) Part-time vacancies are for jobs involving less than 30 hours work per week and full-time are for jobs involving 30 hours or more work per week. (3) Vacancy outflow. The count of vacancies that have either been filled by Jobcentre Plus or withdrawn during the specified month.  Source: ONS Nomis

EU Law

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many EU directives are pending transposition into domestic legislation by his Department; and what estimate he has made of the cost of each such transposition.

Chris Grayling: The Department for Work and Pensions currently has three EU directives pending transposition into domestic legislation:
	Directive on equal treatment between men and women engaged in an activity in a self-employed capacity (2010/41/EU). The estimated cost of transposition is a maximum of £8.16 million per annum. Administrative costs have not yet been assessed.
	Health and Safety Directive establishing a third List of Indicative Occupational Exposure Limit Values (2009/161/EU). The costs to business of transposition are likely to be minimal. Administrative costs are estimated at £287,000.
	Health and Safety Directive implementing the framework agreement on preventing injuries from sharp instruments in the hospital and healthcare sector (2010/32/EU). An impact assessment of the costs to business has not yet been completed but costs are likely to be low. Administrative costs are estimated at £141,600.

Flexible New Deal Programme

Jason McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the payment arrangements for Flexible New Deal providers are for  (a) initial referral onto the Flexible New Deal programme,  (b) a 13 week sustainable outcome,  (c) a 26 week sustainable outcome and  (d) incidental payments, including travel or training allowances.

Chris Grayling: The information requested is as follows:
	 (a ), (b) and  (c)
	Payments to Flexible New Deal providers vary from contract to contract. There is no payment for an initial referral or start on FND, although providers are paid a monthly service fee based on customer volumes. Although there are no fixed prices for job outcomes, the original expectation when Flexible New Deal contracts were due to last five years was that service fees would equate to 26% of the total contract value over five years, short job outcome payments (13 weeks) to 47% and sustained job outcome payments (26 weeks) to 27%. Actual percentages will not be known until contract closure negotiations are completed.
	 (d) Incidental payments including travel or training allowances
	FND participants may undertake periods of training in addition to a four week Mandatory Work Related Activity. Jobcentre Plus will pay a training allowance at the rate of the customer's current benefit for the duration of these activities. Incidental costs such as child care cost and travel expenses which providers disburse are included in the overall funding they receive from DWP as part of the overall contract price.

Football: World Cup 2010

Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department spent on entertainment activities related to the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Chris Grayling: The Department has no record of any entertainment expenditure relating to the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Housing Benefit

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effects of the implementation of the proposed changes to local housing allowance on the level of use of the provisions of section 20 of the Children Act 1989 in respect of accommodation for children in need.

Steve Webb: We are publishing an impact assessment along with the Housing Benefit (Amendment) Regulations 2010 which give effect to our changes to the local housing allowance arrangements from April 2011.
	There is no reason to believe that there should be an increase in the number of children with a housing need. We have a substantial package of financial and practical support in place, including up to nine months' transitional protection from a reduction in the local housing allowance rate. This will ensure that for the small number of households that do have to move, it will be managed in a careful way.

Incapacity Benefit

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many incapacity benefit advisers Jobcentre Plus employs.

Maria Miller: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Darra Singh. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Darra Singh:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking how many Incapacity Benefits (IB) advisers Jobcentre Plus employs. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	Jobcentre Plus stopped recording the number of IB advisers it employed at the end of the 2009/10 year. The Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), which was introduced in October 2008, replaced Incapacity Benefit and Income Support paid on incapacity grounds for new customers. As time progressed, it became increasingly difficult to differentiate between the IB and ESA advisers role. From the start of this year therefore, we agreed a single description for advisers involved in providing ESA advice. The latest published data at June 2010 shows Jobcentre Plus employed 896 full time equivalents on ESA advisory work.
	This data is drawn from an internal Departmental system used to monitor staff deployment trends.

Incapacity Benefit: Gwent

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of adults of working age in Islwyn constituency claimed incapacity benefits in each year since 1997.

Maria Miller: The information requested is given in the following table:
	
		
			  Working age claimants of incapacity benefits in Islwyn parliamentary constituency 
			   Incapacity benefit/severe disability allowance  Percentage of Islwyn working age population  Employment and support allowance  Percentage of Islwyn working age population  Working age population estimates( 1) 
			  May:  
			 1997 6,200 15.8 - - 39,039 
			 1998 6,000 15.4 - - 39,039 
			 1999 6,100 15.6 - - 39,039 
			 2000 6,110 15.7 - - 39,039 
			 2001 6,160 15.8 - - 39,039 
			 2002 6,190 15.8 - - 39,272 
			 2003 6,170 15.7 - - 39,373 
			 2004 5,970 15.1 - - 39,677 
			 2005 5,870 14.7 - - 39,817 
			 2006 5,810 14.4 - - 40,211 
			 2007 5,490 13.7 - - 40,099 
			 2008 5,160 12.9 - - 40,099 
			 2009 4,540 11.3 500 1.3 40,099 
			 2010 4,540 11.3 990 2.5 40,099 
			 (1) Please be aware that the population estimates used are experimental statistics and do not yet meet the quality standards of National Statistics. These are unrevised estimates and are not consistent with the latest mid-year population estimates by local authority. They are due to be revised early next year and will be published along with the estimates by parliamentary constituency for mid-2008 and mid-2009.   Notes:  1. May 1997 to May 1999 figures are based on sample data and are therefore subject to a degree of sampling variation.  2. 5% sample figures are rounded to the nearest hundred, and 100% caseloads to the nearest ten.  3. 5% sample figures have been uprated using 5% proportions against 100% WPLS totals.  4. Incapacity benefit was replaced by employment support allowance (ESA) from October 2008.  5. Published benefit data will reflect the 2010 parliamentary constituencies from May 2010 data (published November 2010) onwards.  6. Prior to May 2010, the Westminster parliamentary constituencies for 2005 have been used.  7. Population estimates are not available by parliamentary constituency for the following periods: 1997 to 2000-mid-2001 estimates used 2008 to 2010-mid-2007 estimates used.  8. State pension age began to increase from April 2010.  9. Working age has been defined here as for pre-April 2010.  10. Population estimates are unrounded.   Source:  1997-1999 figures Information Directorate 5% samples. 2000 onwards DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100% data. Population Estimates-Office for National Statistics.

Income Support: Lone Parents

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the likely effects on lone parent students of the transition from income support to jobseeker's allowance;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the effects on lone parent students of  (a) reducing and  (b) withdrawing income support during their studies.

Chris Grayling: Prior to November 2008 lone parents could claim income support until their youngest child reached 16. This age has been progressively reduced, and currently lone parents with a youngest child aged seven and over wishing to claim benefit have to claim jobseeker's allowance if they are capable of work.
	Lone parents who are in receipt of income support and are full-time students or undertaking a full-time course on the new deal for lone parents programme (or as part of an approved scheme) prior to the change can remain entitled to income support until they finish their course or their youngest child reaches the relevant age in force at the time they started the course, whichever happens first.
	Lone parents who decide to undertake a full-time course after the income support entitlement change came into force will not be able to claim jobseeker's allowance but may be able to access support from the educational maintenance system which, unlike the social security system, is designed for their needs. Lone parents studying part-time can claim jobseeker's allowance but need to demonstrate they are available for and actively seeking work.

Independent Living Fund

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which disability organisations the Minister with responsibility for disabled people has met to discuss the future of the independent living fund.

Maria Miller: I have met with a number of disability organisations and other bodies to discuss the future of the independent living fund: the chair of Equality 2025; the All Party Parliamentary Group on Disability; the Disability Charities Consortium and the Disabled People's Organisations Group; and the Independent Living Fund Advisory Group. I have also met with other disability organisations individually, including speaking with the National Centre for Independent Living (NCIL), and will continue to do so as we consider the future of the independent living fund in the context of the spending review.
	I have also had meetings with the trustees and management of the independent living fund and held telephone meetings with devolved Administrations.

Jobcentre Plus: Post Offices

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what Jobcentre Plus services his Department plans to make available via the post office network; and how many Jobcentre Plus staff he expects to be deployed in post offices.

Chris Grayling: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Darra Singh. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Darra Singh:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about what Jobcentre Plus services his Department plans to make available via the Post Office network; and how many Jobcentre Plus staff he expects to be deployed in post offices. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	The Coalition Government policy statement 'Securing the Post Office Network in the Digital Age' published on 9 November 2010 sets out the services which the Department for Work and Pensions is considering piloting with the Post Office.
	Jobcentre Plus, as part of the Department for Work and Pensions, is actively considering opportunities to work closely with the Post Office. This includes exploring the potential to make more use of the Post Office network, for example to support Jobcentre Plus in the administration of the National Insurance Number application process. No decisions have been taken about whether there is sufficient potential to merit piloting any of the opportunities being considered. There is no intention at this stage to locate Jobcentre Plus staff in Post Office premises.
	Jobcentre Plus already provides outreach services in over 1,500 partner premises including community centres, children's centres, prisons and schools. The extent of co-location can vary from a few hours each week to a full time presence. These decisions are taken by local managers in conjunction with partner organisations to meet local need.
	It is our intention to take a positive and constructive approach to identify opportunities to work more closely with the Post Office to deliver a service that represents best value for our customers and the taxpayer.

Jobcentre Plus Advisers: Claimant Commitment

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the effects on the number of Jobcentre Plus advisers will be of the Government's proposed Claimant Commitment.

Chris Grayling: At present jobseekers are required to agree a jobseeker's agreement with their personal adviser. The introduction of the Claimant Commitment strengthens this existing requirement and extends it to other benefits. It will be integrated into the existing claims process and will help streamline current, benefit-specific actions. As such, the commitment is expected to have a minimal impact on Jobcentre Plus resource requirements.

Medical Checks: Atos

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the duration is of his Department's contract with Atos in respect of medical checks on benefit claimants.

Chris Grayling: Following a competitive tender exercise the Medical Services Agreement between Atos Healthcare and the Department for Work and Pensions was awarded on 15 March 2005 by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. The contract went live on 1 September 2005, for a period of seven years, with options to extend for a further three and two years. On 1 November 2010 I awarded a contract extension to 31 August 2015 to facilitate the delivery of incapacity benefit reassessment. The new disability living allowance assessment service from 2013, is not included in the extension but will be awarded through a competitive tendering process.

Medical Examinations: Atos

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the monetary value is of his Department's contract with Atos in respect of medical checks on benefit claimants.

Steve Webb: The Department for Work and Pensions awarded Atos Origin IT Services Ltd. trading as Atos Healthcare, the contract to provide medical services on behalf of the Department from 1 September 2005. The total cost of these services amounts to approximately £100 million per annum. This figure not only covers the total number of examinations undertaken across all benefits, but also costs relating to written and verbal medical advice, fixed overheads, administrative costs, investment in new technology and other service improvements.

Medical Examinations: Atos

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what performance standards are required in his Department's contract with Atos in respect of medical checks on benefit claimants; and what the outcome has been of performance assessments of Atos undertaken by his Department in the last 24 months.

Chris Grayling: The Department manages all aspects of performance and service delivery of the medical services contract through the monitoring of: service level performance, quality audits and complaints.
	The contractual agreement between DWP and Atos Healthcare contains numerous performance targets covering a wide range of features including throughput, customer service and medical quality. Schedule 5 of the contract details the service levels DWP requires from Atos Healthcare. A copy of the contract is available in the House of Commons Library
	http://deposits.parliament.uk
	then click on Dep2010-1704.zip. The relevant files are titled, Clauses.pdf, New Contract Index.pdf and Schedules 1 to 33.pdf
	The medical quality target is that, based on rolling three month data, no more than 5% of reports should be classed as a C grade, defined as:
	Key requirements are not satisfied to the extent that the product fails to meet Atos Healthcare Professional Standards.
	Results for the last 24 months are:
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   Employment and support allowance assessments  Incapacity benefit assessments  IB scrutiny  Disability living allowance/ attendance allowance assessments  Industrial injuries disablement benefit  assessments  ESA file work  Overall 
			  2010
			 October 3.9 3.9 3.2 3.9 1.7 1.1 2.6 
			 September 4.6 3.2 3.0 3.9 2.1 1.2 2.8 
			 August 4.2 3.8 2.1 4.5 1.6 1.6 2.8 
			 July 4.0 4.2 1.8 4.5 1.6 1.2 2.7 
			 June 3.9 4.5 1.4 4.9 1.8 0.7 2.5 
			 May 3.4 3.7 2.0 4.2 2.2 0.5 2.2 
			 April 3.7 2.9 1.6 5.2 1.9 0.5 2.3 
			 March 3.2 2.1 2.0 3.9 1.2 0.5 2.0 
			 February 3.8 2.0 1.9 4.3 1.8 0.7 2.2 
			 January 3.7 2.3 2.5 3.6 2.0 0.7 2.3 
			 
			  2009
			 December 4.2 2.7 1.8 3.3 2.5 0.7 2.3 
			 November 4.6 2.7 1.6 3.9 2.0 0.4 2.3 
			 October 4.3 3.2 1.6 4.3 2.4 0.5 2.2 
			 September 4.0 3.6 1.8 4.6 1.6 0.9 2.3 
			 August 3.5 3.6 2.1 3.4 1.2 1.2 2.2 
			 July 4.7 3.7 2.1 2.9 1.6 1.4 2.3 
			 June 5.7 4.5 3.5 4.0 2.4 1.2 3.0 
			 May - 5.6 3.2 4.1 3.5 - 3.3 
			 April - 4.3 3.2 3.8 2.6 - 2.7 
			 March - 4.0 1.8 3.7 1.9 - 2.1 
			 February - 2.9 1.6 4.3 1.3 - 2.1 
			 January - 4.1 0.9 3.9 1.3 - 2.1 
			 
			  2008
			 December - 4.0 1.4 4.0 1.5 - 2.2 
			 November - 5.1 1.5 3.9 2.4 - 2.1 
		
	
	Figures are not available for employment and support allowance up to May 2009. This is due to the volume of referrals not presenting a statistically valid sample size during that period.

Medical Examinations: Atos

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how frequently his Department receives performance reports under its contract with Atos in respect of medical checks on benefit claimants.

Chris Grayling: Schedule 16 of the Medical Services Contract contains a full list of the Management Information Reports received and their frequency. Additional performance and quality reports can be requested as required.
	A copy of the contract is available in the House of Commons Library:
	http://deposits.parliament.uk/
	then click on Dep2010-1704.zip. The relevant files are titled, Clauses.pdf, New Contract lndex.pdf and Schedules 1 to 33.pdf.

Medical Examinations: Atos

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions by what tender process Atos won the contract with his Department for medical checks on benefit claimants.

Chris Grayling: The Medical Services Contract was re-let by means of open competitive tender as advertised in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU). The award was based around the most economically advantageous tender in terms of the criteria as stated in the contract, a copy of which is available in the House of Commons Library:
	http://deposits.parliament.uk/
	then click on Dep2010-1704.zip. The relevant files are titled, Clauses.pdf, New Contract lndex.pdf and Schedules 1 to 33.pdf

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Caroline Nokes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what mechanisms will be put in place to support disabled home owners whose disability prevents them from earning an income.

Maria Miller: Disabled home owners who are entitled to income-related employment and support allowance or income support, may receive an additional element called support for mortgage interest. This makes a contribution towards the interest on eligible loans taken out to purchase the property. It also makes a contribution towards specific loans for repairs and improvements which are necessary to maintain the home's fitness for habitation or to loans taken out to adapt a home to meet the special needs of a disabled person.

Parents: New Businesses

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what support his Department provides to new parents seeking to resume work by starting a business; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: Jobseekers, including new parents, interested in self-employment or starting a business are signposted to a range of information and advice from the start of their jobseeker's allowance claim.
	At present, from the 13 week stage of a jobseeker's claim, support, including business advice, workshops and mentoring, is made available. Eligible jobseekers can also receive the Self-Employment Credit (SEC) of £50 a week for up to 16 weeks when they leave jobseeker's allowance and start trading. These arrangements will continue until March 2011.
	We are replacing the current arrangements with the New Enterprise Allowance scheme. This is being developed to promote self-employment as a route off benefits and into financial independence for customers who have been claiming jobseeker's allowance for six months or more. It will initially be targeted on areas in Great Britain facing the greatest unemployment challenge.
	Customers will have access to a mentor as they prepare to move into self-employment. They will be entitled to financial support provided they can demonstrate they have a viable business proposition. This will include a weekly allowance for up to 26 weeks and access to loan finance of up to £1,000.
	We intend to trail blaze the mentoring and loan elements of the new self-employment offer in one or two areas from the end of January 2011, before rolling out the full New Enterprise Allowance from April.

Retirement: EU Countries

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what information his Department holds on EU member states which do not have a default retirement age.

Steve Webb: Legal frameworks relating to retirement differ widely between member states, though all are covered by the EU framework directive. In the strictest sense, no other EU countries have a default retirement age, as this is specific to UK legislation. DWP and the Department for Business Innovation and Skills monitor developments in member states' policies, and are aware that some countries do operate or have operated retirement ages in at least some sectors. However, decisions on the details of legislation in this area must be made in the context of the UK's economy and legal framework.
	As part of the review of the default retirement age, DWP commissioned a comparative review of international approaches to mandatory retirement. This review compared the UK with France, Ireland and Sweden, along with five countries outside the EU. The report 'A comparative Review of International Approaches to Mandatory Retirement, 2010' is available at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd5/rports2009-2010//rrep674.pdf#

Social Fund

Jack Lopresti: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has for the future of the Social Fund.

Steve Webb: Our plans for reforming the Social Fund were set out in the White Paper "Universal Credit: Welfare that works" (CM 7957) published on 11 November 2010.

Social Security Benefits

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) recipients of benefits were paid and  (b) benefit payments were made (i) by direct debit into bank accounts and (ii) via the Post Office network through the Post Office card account in each of the last three years.

Steve Webb: Information is not available in the precise format requested.
	The following table shows the number of benefit and pension accounts paid (i) by direct payment into bank accounts and (ii) via the Post Office network through the Post Office card account in each of the last three years.
	
		
			  Million 
			   Bank account  Post Office card account 
			 2008 16.0 4.0 
			 2009 17.2 3.9 
			 2010 17.9 3.8 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded and relate to GB payment accounts live and in payment as at April of each year. 2. Customers may be in receipt of more than one benefit and therefore may be counted more than once. 3. Child benefit and war pensions are no longer administered by DWP and have therefore been excluded.  Source: DWP, Information Directorate

State Retirement Pensions: Females

Anne Begg: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate his Department has made of the number of women over the age of 50 years who will have their state pension age raised by more than one year as a result of the implementation of the proposal to raise the state pension age to 66 years by 2020.

Steve Webb: Women born between 6 October 1953 and 5 April 1955 will have their state pension age raised by more than one year, compared to the timetable set by the Pensions Act 1995. The most recent population estimates indicate that there were approximately 500,000 women resident in Great Britain who were born in this period.

State Retirement Pensions: Overseas Residence

Aidan Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he plans to review state pension arrangements for expatriates.

Steve Webb: The UK state pension is payable world-wide but is only up-rated abroad where there is a legal requirement or reciprocal agreement to do so. A well known court case challenging the UK's position was heard by the European Court of Human Rights' Grand Chamber in September 2009 and the Court's judgment of March 2010 was in the UK's favour.
	We continue to take our obligations under the terms of the European Convention on Human Rights seriously and are satisfied that we are complying. We therefore have no plans to make any changes to the current arrangements.

UN Food and Agriculture Organisation

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the compliance of  (a) his Department,  (b) its agencies and  (c) its non-departmental public bodies with the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation's criteria for sourcing sustainable timber.

Chris Grayling: The Department, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) comply with the UK Government's Timber Procurement Policy which requires central Departments to purchase legal and sustainable or Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) licensed timber and wood derived products. This means all timber and wood derived products are independently certified by either the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) or the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC).
	The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs takes responsibility to ensure that the Timber Procurement Policy addresses other criteria for sourcing sustainable timber, such as that of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation.
	Remploy, one of the Department's NDPBs, is also a manufacturer. The wood machining sites of its commercial furniture manufacturing business have FSC accreditation, as do their suppliers.
	The Department, its agencies and NDPBs have systems in place to ensure UK Government policy is adhered to.

Unemployment: Owner Occupation

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he plans to take to mitigate the risk of home-owners losing their homes in the event of becoming unemployed; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Webb: Unemployed home-owners entitled to income-based jobseeker's allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance or Income Support, may receive an additional element called Support for Mortgage Interest. This makes a contribution towards the interest on eligible loans taken out to purchase the property, and specific loans for repairs and improvements which are necessary to maintain the home's fitness for habitation.
	The Government expect to see lenders continuing to offer support and forbearance to their customers who are struggling with their mortgage. We are also exploring with mortgage lenders the scope for them to "freeze" benefit claimants' mortgage accounts and apply a standard interest rate for a fixed period.

Universal Credit: Welfare

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to paragraph 15 of his White Paper entitled "Universal Credit: welfare that works", what assessment he has made of the likely effects on HM Revenue and Customs of his Department administering the universal benefit; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: There will be significant changes and efficiencies effecting the administration arrangements for both DWP and HMRC as a result of the introduction of Universal Credit.
	Over time, the financial support currently delivered by HMRC through tax credits will be replaced by Universal Credit. This process will not be completed until Universal Credit is fully in place, around four years after implementation begins in 2013. The extent of the changes and efficiencies will depend on the eventual design of Universal Credit and its delivery.
	I am working closely with my hon. Friend the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury to ensure a smooth transition to Universal Credit for both DWP and HMRC.

Universal Credit: Welfare

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to paragraph 8 of his White Paper entitled "Universal Credit: welfare that works", what steps he plans to take to ensure that no individual will experience a reduction in the benefit they receive as a result of the introduction of universal credit; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: The introduction of Universal Credit will allow people to keep more earnings from small amounts of regular work.
	In managing the transition to Universal Credit we will make sure that those who will gain most from the incentive to work will move in the first phase, and that no-one whose circumstances are unchanged will see their entitlement reduced when they move on to Universal Credit.

Work Capability Assessment Review

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department's policy on its contract with Atos of the recommendations of the independent work capability assessment review led by Professor Richard Harrington.

Chris Grayling: The Medical Services Agreement between Atos Healthcare and the Department for Work and Pensions commenced on 1 September 2005 for a period of seven years, with options to extend for a further three and two years. On 1 November 2010 I awarded a contract extension to 31 August 2015.
	Professor Harrington considered all aspects of the operation of the WCA, including the Atos assessment and concluded that, whilst the assessment is not working as well as it should and much could be done to make it fairer and more effective, the system is not broken or beyond repair.
	Professor Harrington has recommended a series of practical improvements to the work capability assessment which we have accepted. A number of these relate to the work of Atos Healthcare-specifically that every Atos assessment contains a personalised summary of the assessment; that Atos provide mental, intellectual and cognitive champions in each medical assessment centre; that Atos pilot the audio recording of assessments; and that Atos develop and publish a charter of claimant rights and responsibilities and consider publishing their guidance online.
	Before publishing its response and accepting these recommendations, the Department negotiated with Atos to ensure that these recommendations would be achievable. We will now work closely with Atos Healthcare in order to introduce them as fully and speedily as possible.

Working Tax Credit: Disability

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effects on families with disabled children of changes to eligibility rules for working tax credits; and if he will make a statement.

David Gauke: I have been asked to reply.
	From April 2012, the Government will change the eligibility rules for the working tax credit so that couples with children must work 24 hours a week between them, with one partner working at least 16 hours a week in order to qualify for the working tax credit. An equalities screening assessment was carried out for this measure, which considered the impact of this measure on those with disabilities. This change will not affect entitlement to the disabled and severely disabled child elements of the child tax credit.
	The Government published an 'overview of the impact of Spending Review 2010 on equalities' alongside the spending review document. This document considers the overall impact of the spending review on groups protected by equalities legislation and it can be found at
	http://cdn.hm-treasury.gov.uk/sr2010_equalities.pdf

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to ensure long-term diversity in land-use in farming; and if she will make a statement.

James Paice: holding answer 29 November 2010
	 The farming industry is best placed to determine how they use their land to make best use of local conditions and meeting market demands. Our recently published departmental business plan highlights our commitment to encouraging sustainable food production. DEFRA provides funding for agri-environment schemes and support to the Campaign for the Farmed Environment which helps farmers to manage their land to produce food sustainably alongside supporting their local natural environment.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Geoffrey Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many appeals have been submitted in respect of applications for consideration under the alternative method of the Single Payment Scheme in the latest period for which figures are available.

James Paice: Under the Single Payment Scheme (SPS) regulations member states were required to create a National Reserve (NR) to give qualifying farmers an opportunity to obtain an increase in the value of the historic element of their SPS payment entitlements.
	Farmers could apply for an allocation from the NR under a number of categories, one of which was the Investor category. If a farmer considered that the standard method of calculating the allocation under the Investor category did not fully reflect the investment they had made they could request an alternative method of calculating the allocation (referred to as 'Alternative Investors').
	Since April 2009 the Rural Payments Agency has received 22 Stage 1 appeals under the SPS Procedure against the decision not to make an allocation under the Alternative Investor category of the NR. Of these 20 farmers progressed to Stage 2 of the appeal procedure.

Animal Welfare: Circuses

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research her Department has evaluated on the treatment of performing animals in circuses in respect of  (a) transport,  (b) confinement,  (c) training and  (d) other conditions; and if she will make a statement.

James Paice: DEFRA officials are currently considering all the evidence available regarding the issue of wild animals in circuses.

Animal Welfare: Circuses

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects to publish the full results of the consultation on the use of wild animals in travelling circuses; and what the reasons are for the time taken to complete work on the consultation.

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she plans to announce her Department's policy on the use of wild animals in circuses before the end of 2010.

James Paice: We are currently considering the 13,000 or so responses before we publish a summary. In the meantime, Lord Henley has been meeting with representatives of welfare groups and the circus industry. An industry body has proposed a self-regulatory system, but no decisions have been made.

Animal Welfare: World Trade Organisation

George Eustice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had on the importance of animal welfare considerations in World Trade Organisation negotiations.

James Paice: None. The World Trade Organisation's (WTO) Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement only allows controls on food safety, plant and animal health grounds. While we are totally committed to improving animal welfare standards the situation is that unanimous agreement of the WTO's membership would be needed to change this to include production standards such as those relating to animal welfare. Such agreement is unlikely to be forthcoming because many of the WTO's members would regard such standards as likely to facilitate protectionism rather than trade.

Building Foam

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make it her policy to establish specific and detailed guidance at  (a) EU and  (b) UK level on the treatment of building foam containing ozone depleting substances; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: The European Commission intends to let a tender for an EU-wide study which will include the development of recommended measures for reducing emissions of ozone-depleting substances from building foams. The contract is expected to be let shortly and the work should be completed within 14 months. This should provide the basis for an EU-wide approach to the treatment of these building foams.

Carbon Emissions

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she plans to bring forward proposals for a mandatory requirement for large companies to publish information on their carbon dioxide emissions.

James Paice: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Hartlepool (Mr Wright) on 27 October 2010,  Official Report, column 319W.

Electric Shock Collars

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  if she will bring forward proposals to ban the use of electric shock training devices on cats and dogs;
	(2)  what progress has been made on her Department's study of electric shock training aids.

James Paice: holding answer 1 December 2010
	There are no current plans to ban the use of electronic training aids for animals. The Animal Welfare Act 2006 already makes it an offence to cause unnecessary suffering to any animal and to treat an animal in a way that fails to meet its welfare needs. It also provides additional powers to prohibit the use of any such equipment through secondary legislation if considered necessary.
	However, we recognise the need for further research into this issue. DEFRA is currently carrying out a study into whether electronic training collars cause unnecessary suffering, and this is expected to be completed next year.

EU Law

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many EU directives are pending transposition into domestic legislation by her Department; and what estimate she has made of the cost of each such transposition.

James Paice: A total of eight EU directives are currently pending transposition into domestic legislation. The following table gives details of estimated costs, where available. However, five of the directives listed are still at pre-consultation stage, so figures are not currently available.
	
		
			  EU directives pending transposition into domestic legislation by DEFRA 
			  Directive  Transposition deadline  Costs 
			 2007/43/EC Laying down the minimum rules for the protection of chickens kept for meat production 30 June 2010 Best estimate total (present value over eight years-£54.4 million). Best estimate net cost over eight years (£678 million). 
			 Revised Waste Framework Directive 2008/098/EC On Waste and repealing certain directives 12 December 2010 Estimated total cost (present value over 10 years, low-£5.2 million; high-£7.5 million. Benefits have not yet been quantified, so net cost is unknown. 
			 2009/145/EC Providing for certain derogations, for acceptance of vegetable landraces and varieties which have been traditionally been grown in particular localities and regions and are threatened by genetic erosion and of vegetable varieties with no intrinsic value for commercial crop production but developed for growing under particular conditions and for marketing of seed of those landraces and varieties 31 December 2010 Total costs (present value over 10 years) £0.3 million; best estimate net cost (present value over 10 years) £0.3 million. 
			 European Energy Labelling Directive 2010/30/EC on the indication by labelling and standard product information of the consumption of energy and other resources by energy-related products 20 June 2011 Pre-consultation-figures not available. 
			 Water Framework Directive 2009/90/EC Laying down, pursuant to Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, technical specifications for chemical analysis and monitoring of water status 20 August 2011 Pre-consultation-figures not available. 
			 2010/60/EU Providing for certain derogations for marketing of fodder plant seed mixtures intended for use in the preservation of the natural environment 30 November 2011 Pre-consultation-figures not available. 
			 2009/126/EC On Stage II petrol vapour recovery during refuelling of motor vehicles at service stations 1 January 2012 Pre-consultation-figures not available. 
			 2010/79/EU On the adaptation to technical progress of Annex III to Directive 2004/42/EC on the limitation of emissions of volatile organic compounds 10 June 2012 Pre-consultation-figures not available.

Food: Waste

Stephen Mosley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to reduce the amount of food waste produced by the food and drink supply chain.

Richard Benyon: The DEFRA-funded Waste and Resources Action Programme is working with the grocery industry on Phase Two of the Courtauld Commitment, a responsibility deal on waste prevention, which includes an ambitious target to reduce supply chain food (and packaging) waste.
	The Government support complementary industry initiatives such as the Food and Drink Federation's 'Five-Fold Environmental Ambition', which aim to improve the environmental performance of the food manufacturing sector.
	We are also considering how responsibility deals could help tackle waste in other business sectors.

Forestry Commission: Land

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of likely proceeds from the sale of  (a) Forestry Commission land in England and  (b) national nature reserves in each year of the spending review period.

James Paice: holding answer 24 November 2010
	 Work on the future management and/or ownership of national nature reserves is at a very early stage so it is not possible to give any indications about any likely sale values.
	The Forestry Commission estimates selling 15% of the public forest estate over the spending review period, approximately 40,000 hectares. The estimate of net receipts from sales, year on year, is £13 million/£18 million/£20.5 million/£23 million.

Forests: Sustainable Development

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on compliance of  (a) public and  (b) private sector organisations with the provisions of the UN Food and Agricultural Organisation in respect of sustainable forest management.

James Paice: The main provisions for sustainable forest management internationally are contained in the Rio Forest Principles and the subsequent work of the UN's Intergovernmental Panel and Forum on Forests, which the Food and Agricultural Organisation facilitates the implementation of through a number of its activities on forests.
	These global commitments on forests have been articulated for European forests through resolutions of the Ministerial Conference for the Protection of Forests in Europe, including the development of pan-European criteria and indicators of sustainable forest management. The UK has used this pan-European framework to inform its approach to sustainable forest management, which is contained in the UK Forestry Standard that both public and private forest owners and managers are expected to comply with.

Landfill

David Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what recent estimate she has made of the annual administrative cost to local authorities of the Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme;
	(2)  what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme in reducing landfill volumes;
	(3)  what plans she has for the future of the Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme.

Richard Benyon: On 18 March 2010, DEFRA launched a consultation seeking views on the most effective combination of policies to ensure that England reduces the amount of biodegradable waste sent to landfill and meets its EU landfill diversion targets. As part of the consultation, DEFRA asked for views on the future of the Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme (LATS).
	The vast majority of respondents considered that the scheme had been an important driver in diverting waste from landfill. The Government announced on 8 September that the UK will meet the 2010 landfill directive target, and the scheme has played an important role in delivering that outcome. However, the majority of respondents thought that the landfill tax was now a greater driver. There was a range of views about the future of LATS, with a number of respondents considering that LATS should be abandoned immediately, others wanting this to happen after the 2013 target year and others wanting LATS to be retained till 2020.
	DEFRA is assessing policy options in the context of the Government's current wider review of waste policies, taking these views into account. We do not have a recent assessment of the administrative cost to local authorities of the LATS. However, a primary goal of the policy assessment is to achieve a set of policies delivering the required reduction in the amount of waste sent to landfill without placing unnecessary burdens on those involved, including local authorities.

Livestock

Anne-Marie Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether her Department plans to review regulations governing the movement of livestock.

James Paice: The Task Force on Food and Farming headed by Richard Macdonald has identified the livestock movements regime (including the standstill rules) as one of the areas they will review. I look forward to their recommendations.

New Forest National Park Authority

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much the New Forest National Park Authority spent on circulating the recent report on its activities to every household in the National Park.

Richard Benyon: The decision to issue the authority's 'Park Life' biannual newsletter is a matter for that authority. I understand that each edition costs £12,000 to produce and distribute-which is about 13p per copy.

Ozone Depleting Substances

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the proportion of  (a) existing public buildings and  (b) public buildings under construction which utilise ozone depleting substances in their construction materials.

Richard Benyon: In 2009, DEFRA commissioned research into the quantity of ozone-depleting substances present in the UK building stock. This research, which should be published in due course, estimated the total quantity of ozone-depleting substances still present in the UK building stock, but has not explicitly identified the proportion still present in public buildings.
	The use of ozone-depleting substances in building insulation foams has been banned in the EU since 2004, so these materials are no longer used in the construction of any buildings in the UK.

Poultry: Eggs

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent representations she has received on the introduction of a No 4 production code for enriched eggs to differentiate them from eggs produced using conventional cages after 1 January 2012; and what recent discussions she has had at EU level on the introduction of a ban on eggs and egg products produced from hens housed in conventional cages after 1 January 2010.

James Paice: I have received many letters on this subject from MPs and individual farmers recently. The UK Government remain entirely committed to the conventional cage ban coming into force on 1 January 2012 and to supporting industry throughout the transition. DEFRA officials are continuing to work with the European Commission and industry to ensure that everything is done to protect UK producers who have already made significant investment to comply with the legislation.
	The UK has suggested the introduction of a Code '4' for eggs produced by hens housed in enriched systems with the Commission, to ensure they can be distinguished from those housed in conventional cages after the ban is introduced. However, the Commission has made it clear that it views the introduction of an additional Code as confusing to consumers. It is not an option it is willing to consider.
	We have therefore, along with some member states, asked the Commission to provide sufficient enforcement controls across the European Union. This will help protect compliant producers and ensure that they are not disadvantaged if there is any delay to the ban, or any member states fail to meet the 2012 deadline. One way of achieving this might be an intra-community ban on the trade in eggs produced by hens still housed in conventional cages after 1 January 2012. In practice this would mean that such eggs may only be sold in the member state of production for a limited period only.

Tigers

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking together with  (a) other Governments and  (b) international agencies to reduce the illegal trade in tigers.

Richard Benyon: International trade in tiger parts is a significant threat to the species and as a party to the convention on international trade in endangered species (CITES), the UK is supportive of its increasing focus on enforcement, its work with range and consumer countries as well as enforcement agencies such as Interpol. The UK has been involved in the development of the Global Tiger Initiative, a World Bank programme which aims to address threats to the species so that numbers in the wild will double by 2022, as well as the inter-governmental Global Tiger Forum.
	The Government take seriously the threat to wildlife from smuggling and trafficking wildlife. The UK is currently chair of the Coalition Against Wildlife Trafficking (CAWT), a coalition of six Governments and 13 non-government organisations, committed to raising the profile of illegal trade to focus public and political attention and resources on ending the illegal trade in wildlife and wildlife products.

Tigers

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what  (a) funding and  (b) other assistance her Department plans to provide to the Global Tiger Recovery Programme adopted by the International Tiger Forum at St Petersburg, Russia.

Richard Benyon: We will assess how the UK can best participate in efforts to protect tigers in the wild in light of the recent global tiger summit held in St Petersburg, once details of its conclusions and the governance regime are known in detail. No decisions regarding funding or other assistance have yet been made.

Tigers: St Petersburg

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what matters the Government raised at the global tiger summit held in St Petersburg, Russia.

Richard Benyon: While supportive of the initiative which led to the global tiger summit, UK Ministers were unable to attend.
	Nevertheless, the UK has consistently supported efforts to protect tigers in the wild, particularly through membership of the global tiger forum, and actively participated with the World Bank, non-government organisations and tiger range states in the global tiger initiative programme. We will now assess how the UK can best participate in the post-summit strategy.

Trees

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much sweet chestnut is under management for coppicing in each  (a) county and  (b) local authority area.

James Paice: The best available information on woodland type, tree species and area in England is from data collected by the Forestry Commission for the National Inventory of Woodlands and Trees published in 2001. The estimated area of sweet chestnut coppice assessed as being in active management at the time of the survey is given in the following table. No sweet chestnut coppice was recorded in the counties not included in this list.
	
		
			  County  Area (hectares) 
			 Hereford/Worcs 434 
			 Essex 278 
			 Berkshire 45 
			 Greater London 11 
			 Kent 4,581 
			 Surrey 128 
			 East Sussex 1,561 
			 West Sussex 752 
			 Hampshire 39 
			 Devon 131

Tuna: Conservation

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on a settlement by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas which would not guarantee the recovery of bluefin tuna stocks by 2022.

Richard Benyon: I made it clear to the Fisheries Council on 25 October 2010 that the protection of bluefin tuna had to be a top priority for the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), and that if further cuts were necessary to the total allowable catch (TAC) in order to achieve this, then they should be made. While we would have preferred to have seen a more significant reduction in the TAC to increase probability of recovery by 2022, the decision by ICCAT to reduce it by a further 600 tonnes is within the parameters of the recommendations made by the Standing Committee on Research and Statistics (SCRS).

Tuna: Conservation

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what submissions her Department made to the EU Council on its negotiating position for the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas discussions on a potential ban on the commercial fishing of bluefin tuna.

Richard Benyon: During such discussions, the UK advised the Council that it favoured providing a mandate that would have obliged the Commission to seek a significant reduction in the level of total allowable catch (TAC). This did not prove to be possible, as member states with fishing possibilities opposed this, and pressed for a mandate that would have sought retention of the TAC at last year's levels.
	Following extensive negotiations, a presidency compromise was adopted, which sought to achieve a level of TAC that would provide between 60 and 77% probability of achieving maximum sustainable yields by 2022. The UK abstained, because opposing would have meant that the EU had no mandate to negotiate on bluefin tuna, and this could have resulted in contracting parties seeking an increase to the TAC, which would have made the situation worse.

Tuna: Conservation

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the effectiveness on stock conservation of the proposals advanced by  (a) the Netherlands,  (b) Sweden and  (c) Greece prior to the EU Council meeting which determined the EU mandate for the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas negotiations.

Richard Benyon: The UK considered a range of proposals, advanced by different parties in the lead up to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas negotiations, in order to arrive at a settled EU position that would enable the continued recovery of the bluefin tuna stock.

Tuna: Conservation

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with  (a) her international counterparts and  (b) multinational agencies on banning the commercial fishing of bluefin tuna.

Richard Benyon: I discussed the issue of bluefin tuna with the head of the American Oceanographic Agency, and made it very clear that we considered that the conservation of bluefin tuna was a top priority, and that steps needed to be taken at International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) to reduce the quota if the Scientific Committee judged that it was necessary to do so.
	Wide-ranging discussions were also held with a range of member states at ministerial and senior official levels, including France.

Tuna: Conservation

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on a ban on the commercial fishing of bluefin tuna.

Richard Benyon: At the 2009 annual meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), it was agreed that if the Scientific Committee judged that there was an imminent risk of stock collapse, the bluefin tuna fishery should be closed immediately. The 2010 stock assessment did not indicate that such a risk was likely, and we would not therefore support a ban on the commercial fishing of bluefin tuna at this time.

Water Abstraction

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which 10 streams and rivers in England have been assessed as being most at risk from water abstraction; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: The Environment Agency assesses which rivers and streams are under pressure from abstraction by developing catchment abstraction management strategies (CAMS). These documents indicate that rivers in the south-east are under pressure from abstraction.
	The Environment Agency does not have a ranked list of rivers at risk. It uses CAMS and river basin management plans to identify which environmental problems to address by looking at the degree to which abstraction could be affecting surface and ground waters, and evidence of environmental damage. Licences identified as potentially impacting the environment undergo further analysis in the Environment Agency's Restoring Sustainable Abstraction Programme.
	The Government have directed the Environment Agency to prioritise these sites in order of legal and policy requirements as follows:
	those sites protected by the EU Habitats and Wild Birds Directive (Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas);
	Sites of Special Scientific Interest (England only);
	Biodiversity Action Plan sites (Rio convention on biodiversity); and
	sites of local importance.
	The Environment Agency also uses information from CAMS to decide if new abstraction licences can be granted and to develop river basin management plans under the Water Framework Directive (WFD). The Environment Agency is also investigating water bodies that are failing to meet the environmental objectives set by the WFD.

Weedkillers

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on the use of aminopyralid and clopyralid in herbicides; what assessment her Department has made of the effects of such compounds on the environment; and if she will make a statement.

James Paice: The policy on the use of all pesticide products is that they are authorised only if they can be used without unacceptable risk to human health and the environment. Aminopyralid and clopyralid products are used for the control of weeds in crops, turf and pasture land.
	The persistence of aminopyralid and clopyralid herbicides in manure from livestock which feed on pasture land treated with these is considered as part of the risk assessment in the authorisation process. Conditions are imposed on the way the products can be used to minimise manure containing residues of these pesticides being used to cultivate susceptible crops.
	Following incidents of crop damage attributed to manure containing residues of aminopyralid in spring 2008, authorisations for this herbicide were suspended. Some users had not complied with conditions of use designed to prevent the use of manure containing aminopyralid.
	The Advisory Committee on Pesticides considered this issue at a number of meetings in 2008 and 2009. At its September 2009 meeting it recommended that authorisations be granted to new aminopyralid products. This was subject to additional conditions on the way products could be used and the authorisation holder continuing with a stewardship campaign to highlight the risk of treating susceptible crops.
	There are still reports of damage to crops but these have reduced in number this year and relate to aminopyralid use before the new conditions were imposed. Reports of damage to crops from the use of clopyralid occur infrequently. A recent review identified the need to further improve the labelling of some products and this is being done.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Bahrain: Politics and Government

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has made a recent assessment of the effects on the political situation in the Kingdom of Bahrain of the Government's assistance to it in respect of security intelligence.

Alistair Burt: It is the long-standing policy of successive UK Governments not to comment on security and intelligence matters.

Bahrain: Politics and Government

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has made a recent assessment of the  (a) contribution of cultural links to UK relations with Bahrain and  (b) merits of taking steps to strengthen such links with Bahrain.

Alistair Burt: We are committed to elevating our engagement with Bahrain across the board, as well as with other Gulf states. This includes work on cultural and educational links. There is great potential for more and larger collaborations on cultural projects in the region and the UK. We welcome the prospect of future partnerships in cultural schemes and we support the deepening of cultural and historical ties.

Colombia: Homicide

Ian Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports his Department received on the numbers of journalists killed in Colombia in 2009.

Jeremy Browne: According to official Government figures and the Colombian Foundation for Freedom of the Press (FLIP), one journalist was killed in Colombia in 2009.
	We are concerned about the safety of human rights defenders in Colombia, including journalists. We regularly raise our concerns with the Colombian Government, including at a recent meeting between our ambassador and the head of the Vice President's Unit for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law.

Colombia: Prisoners

Ian Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Colombian authorities in relation to the detention in Charco of Henry Castillo Perlaza.

Jeremy Browne: We cannot intervene in Colombia's judicial processes but we do raise specific cases with the Colombian authorities where there is a concern for individuals who have been detained for long periods without trial. We are following Mr Castillo's case closely.
	We regularly underline to the Colombian authorities that those charged with crimes should have their legal rights fully respected, including the right to a fair trial. The issue of swift and effective justice was raised last at the EU-Colombia Human Rights Dialogue on 23 November 2010, which was attended by our ambassador in Bogota.

Colombia: Terrorism

Ian Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 4 November 2010,  Official Report, column 914W, on Colombia: terrorism, what assessment he has made of the credibility of the allegations made by members of the San Jose de Apartado community of collaboration between the Colombian army and paramilitary groups.

Jeremy Browne: We have not made an official assessment of the credibility of the allegations made by members of the San Jose de Apartado community. We will continue to monitor the Colombian Government's response to these allegations and to maintain contact with the San Jose de Apartado community.

Guatemala: Human Rights

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will discuss with the Guatemalan Government the steps it is taking to ensure full and effective implementation of the  (a) article guaranteeing free, prior, and informed consent to communities affected by large scale extractive projects and  (b) other articles of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Jeremy Browne: Human rights were a focus of my visit to Guatemala on 26 November, and featured in my meetings with the Foreign Minister and Vice Foreign Minister. I also discussed current issues and human rights with a group of diverse and young Guatemalan future leaders, including leaders of indigenous groups.
	The protection and the strengthening of human rights is central to the work of our embassy in Guatemala City. On 24 November the ambassador spoke at a seminar on Guatemala's construction industry about the need for responsible development in Guatemala and open dialogue with civil society to ensure human rights are protected. These arguments are gaining support, for example through the new law to allow public-private large infrastructure projects. It includes regulations and dispute resolution mechanisms that engender the confidence of both international investors and local populations.

Taiwan: Working Holidays

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had on the possibility of a Working Holiday Agreement with Taiwan; and if he will make a statement.

Jeremy Browne: We are aware of Taiwan's desire to establish a working holiday agreement, but no substantive discussions have to date taken place. The UK operates a single generic Youth Mobility Scheme (YMS) to enhance cultural exchanges between young people. All participants of the YMS need to meet certain eligibility criteria, including demonstrating a low level of immigration risk, a satisfactory returns arrangement with the UK and reciprocal opportunities for UK nationals.
	Following an objective worldwide review, the UK lifted its visa requirement for short term visits by Taiwanese passport holders in March 2009. We enjoy a strong relationship with Taiwan in the areas of education and cultural exchange, with around 15,000 Taiwanese students in the UK at any one time.

Western Sahara

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the oral answer to the hon. Member for Islington North (Jeremy Corbyn) on 9 November 2010,  Official Report, column 141, on the Western Sahara, what steps were taken in response to his request for monitoring by his Department's officials based in Morocco.

Alistair Burt: The Government support the idea of independent verification of the human rights situation in Western Sahara. Discussions regarding human rights monitoring in Western Sahara need to explore all options and identify which organisation is best placed to deliver that function.
	Our embassy in Rabat works closely with local and international human rights non-governmental organisations on a range of human rights issues and raises specific human rights cases with the Moroccan authorities when appropriate. Work to monitor human rights in Morocco includes working in partnership with other EU missions in Rabat as part of our wider engagement with Morocco.

Western Sahara

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with UK representatives in Morocco on the current situation in El Aauin, Western Sahara.

Alistair Burt: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has had no discussions with UK representatives in Morocco on the current situation in Western Sahara.
	I have travelled to Rabat where I have discussed this issue with UK embassy officials and with a variety of Moroccan interlocutors.
	We are concerned by the recent reports of violence in Western Sahara and continue to support the UN-led efforts to resolve the dispute seeking to encourage the parties to enter into a dialogue, without preconditions, to reach a mutually acceptable political solution.

Western Sahara

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the comments of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State to Algerian television on 11 November 2010, what steps have been taken by UK representatives to monitor the violence in El Aauin, Western Sahara.

Alistair Burt: Our ambassador and officials at the British embassy in Rabat have been monitoring the situation in Western Sahara closely since the reports of violence on 8 November. They are in contact with the Moroccan authorities in Rabat as well as a range of other interlocutors.
	Officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office have also held meetings with officials from the Moroccan embassy in London to discuss the issue.
	As President of the UN Security Council we convened an informal meeting on 16 November where the Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Mr Atul Khare, briefed the Council on the recent incidents in Western Sahara.

WOMEN AND EQUALITIES

Employment Trends

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what recent assessment she has made of trends in the employment of women; and if she will make a statement.

Maria Miller: I have been asked to reply.
	Equality in our work force is a key priority for this Government. I am pleased to tell the House that employment for both men and women is increasing and we expect this trend to continue as the economy recovers.

Homosexual and Bisexual Blood Donors

Simon Wright: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what recent representations she has received on the rules relating to homosexual and bisexual blood donors.

Lynne Featherstone: I have received a number of representations on this issue.
	The independent Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs is currently conducting a comprehensive review of policy and has also received representations from a wide range of groups and individuals on this issue. They will announce the conclusions of their review in early 2011.

Departmental Overseas Visits

Priti Patel: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what overseas visits are planned for  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials in the Government Equalities Office in the next 24 months.

Lynne Featherstone: The Government Equalities Office (GEO) engages with EU and international institutions as well as priority countries to protect and promote UK interests internationally. As part of this work, Ministers and officials are sometimes required to travel to represent the UK at EU and international meetings and conferences.
	As of 26 November 2010, the GEO is planning the following overseas visits for officials in the next 24 months:
	The Council of Europe meeting on Equality between Women and Men in Strasburg on 8-10 December 2010.
	The EU Commission High Level Group on Gender Mainstreaming meeting in Budapest on 11-12 January 2011.
	The 55(th) session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women in New York on 22 February to 4 March 2011.
	The EU Commission Non-Discrimination Governmental Expert Group meeting in Brussels on 12 April 2011.
	In addition, the UK will be sitting on the management board of the European Institute for Gender Equality in Vilnius, Lithuania, for the next three years therefore the GEO anticipates that officials will attend relevant meetings as required.
	The GEO anticipates a number of further ministerial and official visits to EU and international fora in the next 24 months, to be confirmed in the light of ministerial and international priorities.

Flexible Working

Graham Evans: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what consultation her Department has undertaken with  (a) public and  (b) private sector employers on her plans to extend the right to request flexible working to all employees.

Lynne Featherstone: The Minister for Women and Equalities and I have had several informal discussions with a number of public and private sector organisations, as well as other key stakeholders, about flexible working. We will continue to work closely with colleagues at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills who have responsibility for this matter and who will begin formally consulting on the extension to the right to request flexible working to all employees in the new year.

UN Food and Agriculture Organisation

William Bain: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what assessment she has made of the compliance of the Government Equalities Office with the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation's criteria for sourcing sustainable timber.

Lynne Featherstone: The Government Equalities Office (GEO) does not source any timber. Since its creation on 12 October 2007, the GEO has been a tenant of the Department for Communities and Local Government and any sourcing of timber and compliance with the UN criteria is for DCLG to manage.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Illegal Immigrants

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) illegal migrants and  (b) failed asylum seekers have been released following arrest owing to a lack of capacity on the immigration detention estate in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Damian Green: holding answer 1 December 2010
	The UK Border Agency does not record this information centrally and it could be obtained only at disproportionate cost by examination of individual case records.

Illegal Immigrants

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many  (a) illegal migrants and  (b) failed asylum seekers on temporary release from detention were found after absconding in each of the last five years for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many  (a) illegal migrants and  (b) failed asylum seekers on temporary release from detention absconded in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Damian Green: holding answer 1 December 2010
	The UK Border Agency does not record this information centrally and it could be obtained only at disproportionate cost by examination of individual case records or through extensive report development.

Yarl's Wood Detention Centre

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her most recent estimate is of the average daily cost to the public purse of keeping a detainee in Yarl's Wood.

Damian Green: The current average cost of detaining an individual at an immigration removal centre is £110 per night. This includes the operating contract costs, but also the cost for detention services, the part of the UK Border Agency responsible for overseeing the detention estate, to provide direct services to detainees.

Yarl's Wood Detention Centre: Mental Health

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many detainees in each detention centre on the latest date for which figures are available had been diagnosed with a mental health condition.

Damian Green: Consultations and medical records are confidential between patient and doctor. The only exception to this is where a medical practitioner believes a detainee's health is likely to be injuriously affected by continued detention. In such circumstances, he or she is required to inform the UK Border Agency. The Agency is not otherwise informed of, and is therefore unable to provide data on the number of detainees who are diagnosed with a mental health condition.
	All immigration removal centres provide free onsite primary health care to the same level of care as NHS general practices in the community. This involves access to nursing care, including mental health, 24 hours per day, and visiting GPs who are on call outside of normal hours. The GP refers detainees to the local primary care trusts where secondary treatment or specialist health assessments are required.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Arts Council: Finance

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will assess the likely effects of the reduction in the budget for the Arts Council on the delivery of legacy projects associated with the 2008 European Capital of Culture in Liverpool; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Vaizey: The Arts Council have agreed to limit cuts to their overall budget for arts organisations to just 15%. At the same time, the Department has reformed how lottery money is allocated in order to boost the arts share by £50 million each year from 2012. Taken together, this means that the overall funding for the Arts Council will fall by just 11% over the next four years.
	We are confident that by prioritising investment in the front line, and with the Arts Council working closely in partnership with other funders and the arts sector, key legacy projects building on the 2008 European Capital of Culture in Liverpool will continue to thrive.

Arts: Birmingham City Council

Jack Dromey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent assessment he has made of the likely effects of local authority funding reductions on arts organisations based in the Birmingham city council area.

Edward Vaizey: It is central Government's role to empower local communities and local authorities to make the decisions that they feel are most appropriate for their area.
	The Department will continue to fund the arts through Arts Council England, who provide support to a number of regularly funded organisations across the country.

Arts: Durham County Council

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent assessment he has made of the likely effects of local authority funding reductions on arts organisations in Durham county council area.

Edward Vaizey: It is central Government's role to empower local communities and local authorities to make the decisions that they feel are most appropriate for their area.
	The Department will continue to fund the arts through Arts Council England, who provide support to a number of regularly funded organisations across the country.

Film

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with the British Film Institute on its responsibilities for development and promotion of UK films in respect of UK-written and produced films in  (a) indigenous and  (b) non-indigenous UK languages.

Edward Vaizey: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport does not currently have a direct funding relationship with the British Film Institute (BFI). This is a matter for the UK Film Council to address.
	In my capacity as Minister with responsibility for culture and the creative industries, I made an announcement on Monday 29 November about the Department's new relationship with the BFI, which will take effect from April 2011. The details of this proposal, designed to create a more sustainable future for the British film industry, have been published on our website and can be found at:
	http://www.culture.gov.uk/news/news_stories/7603.aspx

Places of Worship Grant Scheme

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with  (a) the Scottish Executive,  (b) Historic Scotland and  (c) the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland on his proposal to end the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme; and what plans he has for the future value added tax liabilities of repairs to listed places of worship.

John Penrose: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is responsible for the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, and has announced that the scheme will continue until 2014-15, with a fixed annual budget of £12 million and an amended scope. Officials have discussed decisions with Historic Scotland and have recently responded to correspondence from the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland.
	European Union (EU) VAT legislation agreed by successive Governments does not provide any scope for the introduction of new zero rates or the extension of existing ones. Furthermore, given that the last discussions on reduced rates of VAT concluded after six years of negotiation, there is no appetite at EU level for these to be reviewed again. There is thus no realistic prospect of any change to the current VAT arrangements for the foreseeable future.

JUSTICE

Prisoners: Terrorism

Paul Goggins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 1 November 2010,  Official Report, column 513W, on prisoners: terrorism, for what reason each of the six offenders convicted of terrorist offences who were re-released in 2010 following an earlier recall were taken back into custody.

Crispin Blunt: The six offenders in question were each recalled for breaches of their licence conditions. They have not been charged with further offences.

Wood

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the compliance of  (a) his Department,  (b) its agencies and  (c) its non-departmental public bodies with the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation's criteria for sourcing sustainable timber.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice's timber procurement is following the specifications set out in the UK Government's Timber Procurement Policy and requires that all timber and wood-derived products procured must be from only independently verifiable legal and sustainable sources or action plan for forest law enforcement, governance and trade licensed timber or equivalent sources. The Government's definition of sustainability is based on internationally agreed criteria for sustainable forest management, which are also referred to by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation.
	The timber purchased by the Ministry of Justice is used by the prison industry workshops for the manufacture of office furniture and associated joinery products. All woodwork workshops undertake goods inward inspections to ensure all timber received is as per the above guidance.

TREASURY

Air Passenger Duty

Henry Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what assumptions in respect of the rates of air passenger duty were used in calculations to obtain the forecasts for air passenger duty receipts contained in table C11 in the Budget 2010 report;
	(2)  what estimates of air passenger numbers were used in calculations to obtain the forecasts for air passenger duty receipts contained in table C11 in the Budget 2010 report;
	(3)  what methodology was used to calculate the forecasts for air passenger duty receipts contained in table C11 in the Budget 2010 report.

Justine Greening: The air passenger duty forecast uses announced duty rates where available and beyond that the assumption is that duty rates will be increased in line with the retail prices index at each Budget. This is set out on page 51 of the June Budget policy costings document:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/junebudget_costings.htm
	Passenger numbers by band are forecast using econometric models of the demand for air travel, based on the relationship of passenger numbers with macro economic variables including gross domestic product and disposable income. The latest Office for Budget Responsibility forecast of these variables is used to produce the forecast. Outturn passenger numbers by band, as well as outturn receipts data are published by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs:
	https://www.uktradeinfo.co.uk/index.cfm?task=bullair
	The receipts forecast is the product of projected passenger numbers multiplied by assumed duty rates. Some small adjustments are made to reflect unusual factors, such as the volcanic ash cloud and industrial action, as well as the latest receipts outturn.

Banks: Pay

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many meetings each Minister in his Department has had with  (a) representatives of banks and financial services companies which will be affected by the implementation of a remuneration disclosure scheme and  (b) others to discuss such a scheme; when each such meeting was held; and who attended each such meeting.

Mark Hoban: holding answer 25 November 2010
	Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. It is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.

Budget June 2010: Equality

William Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what legal advice his Department obtained on the compliance of the proposals in his Budget Statement of 22 June 2010 with the statutory equality duties; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what assessment his Department made of the compatibility of the proposals in his Budget Statement of 22 June 2010 with the Government's statutory equality duties; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what written communications he received from other Ministers on the compliance of the proposals in his Budget Statement of 22 June 2010 with the Government's statutory equality duties.

Justine Greening: The Treasury takes its statutory equality duties very seriously. The Department seeks legal advice where necessary, although this is not obligatory.
	The Treasury has assessed the compliance of each of the 101 measures announced in the June Budget with our equality duties in respect to gender. In some cases, an impact assessment was not necessary or appropriate; in others an impact assessment had already been carried out or would be carried out after the Budget announcement at the appropriate time; and in other cases the measure has already been implemented in primary legislation. Two gender impact assessments (on the public sector pay freeze and indexation of benefits by the consumer prices index) that were originally not included have now been completed and the policies reconsidered in light of these impacts. These policies will go forward as planned.
	I work closely with my colleagues, especially the Secretary of State for the Home Department and Minister for Women and Equalities, to ensure that HM Treasury complies with its statutory obligations.

Charities: Regulation

Jackie Doyle-Price: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to bring forward proposals for regulations to provide for charitable incorporated organisations.

Nick Hurd: I have been asked to reply.
	I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to the right hon. Member for Oxford East (Mr Smith) on 22 November 2010,  Official Report, column 139W.

Cheques

Keith Vaz: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with UK Payments Administration Ltd. on the time taken for cheques drawn on  (a) the same bank and  (b) a different bank to clear following payment into a bank account.

Mark Hoban: Treasury Ministers and officials have discussions with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such discussions.

Debt Collection: Data Protection

Teresa Pearce: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he plans to take to ensure that private sector debt collection agencies comply with  (a) data protection legislation and  (b) principles of confidentiality in handling taxpayers' personal information under his proposals for collection of tax arrears.

David Gauke: holding answer 29 November 2010
	Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs requires debt collection agencies (DCAs) working on its behalf to comply with strict codes of conduct and the contracts require that they maintain HMRC standards in relation to customer service, data security and professionalism. A robust audit and assurance process has been put in place which builds on the experience gained during the 2009-10 pilot.

Departmental Allowances

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department spent on  (a) reimbursement of staff expenses and  (b) the 10 largest staff expense reimbursement claims in each year since 1997.

Justine Greening: Total spending by Treasury staff on reimbursable expenses and the largest 10 payments in each year since 2003-04 are shown in the following table. Information on claims prior to 2003-04 is no longer available.
	
		
			  £ 
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 
			 Annual total 375,401 293,284 341,842 357,084 346,914 (1)630,129 697,662 
			 
			 10 largest claims (ascending) 2,515 1,308 1,692 2,527 2,197 1,724 3,088 
			  2,654 1,447 1,800 2,589 2,400 1,797 3,387 
			  3,054 1,777 1,986 3,483 2,562 2,014 3,445 
			  3,188 1,880 2,000 3,611 2,566 2,526 3,461 
			  3,654 1,880 2,690 4,040 2,571 2,792 3,717 
			  4,500 1,950 3,085 4,076 3,369 2,888 3,827 
			  5,000 2,897 3,503 4,518 3,500 3,006 4,023 
			  5,931 3,024 6,010 4,775 4,171 3,285 4,567 
			  7,170 3,037 6,304 5,547 4,438 3,465 5,061 
			  19,887 4,414 7,846 6,231 5,380 5,729 10,428 
			 (1) The large increase in reimbursable expenses in 2008-09 was due to the introduction of a new corporate card system for the payment of expenses. The system requires staff to pay for their own travel and subsistence in the first instance and then claim reimbursement of their spending through the Department's expenses system. Prior to 2008-09, most travel and subsistence was paid directly by the Department.

Departmental Official Hospitality

Ian Austin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much expenditure each Minister in his Department incurred in respect of entertainment in May 2010.

Justine Greening: No expenditure was incurred by HM Treasury in respect of official entertainment by Ministers in May 2010.

EU Grants and Loans: Republic of Ireland

William Cash: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what legal advice he has  (a) sought and  (b) received on the compliance of the actions of each relevant EU institution (i) preparatory to and (ii) during the negotiation of a programme of financial support for the Republic of Ireland with the procedure prescribed in article 3 of the Council Regulation establishing the European Financial Stability Mechanism;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the compliance of the actions of each relevant EU institution in respect of negotiations  (a) preparatory to and  (b) in respect of a programme of financial support for the Republic of Ireland with the procedure prescribed in article 3 of the Council Regulation establishing the European Financial Stability Mechanism.

Mark Hoban: holding answer 23 November 2010
	The terms of operation of the European Financial Stability Mechanism are set out in EU Council Regulation No. 407/2010. In accordance with Paragraph 1 of Article 3 of this Regulation, and following a request from Ireland for Union financial assistance on 21 November, discussions with the European Commission and European Central Bank (ECB) are under way.
	The Government have full confidence that all relevant EU institutions strictly adhere to and comply with the terms set out in Article 3 of the Council Regulation.

Marginal Deductions

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which measures announced in the  (a) June 2010 Budget and  (b) comprehensive spending review he expects to increase marginal deduction rates for households.

Justine Greening: When estimating changes to marginal deduction rates, it is reform to the tax and benefit system as a whole that is important to households, rather than certain subsets of the system. Annex A of the June Budget sets out estimates of the numbers of families subject to varying marginal deduction rates in 2010-11, and in 2011-12 following the implementation of planned measures included in the March Budget (e.g. the increase in national insurance rates of 1%), and the June 2010 Budget (e.g. the increase of 2% in the taper rate of tax credits).
	At spending review, the Government announced the new universal credit, introduced over two Parliaments, which will replace the current complex system of means-tested working-age benefits with a simple streamlined payment. The universal credit will improve financial work incentives by ensuring that support is reduced at a consistent and managed marginal deduction rate (generally at no more than around 76 pence in the pound as compared with 96 pence currently) as people return to work and increase their working hours and earnings.

Members: Correspondence

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to respond to the letter of 1 October 2010 from the hon. Member for Torbay on low value consignment relief.

David Gauke: I have replied to the hon. Member.

Mortgages

Clive Betts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what research he has evaluated on the likely effects on access to mortgages of the Financial Services Authority's mortgage market proposals;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the effects of the Financial Services Authority's mortgage market proposals on the operation of the housing market;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the evidential basis for the Financial Services Authority's assessment of the effects on house prices of implementation of the authority's mortgage market proposals.

Mark Hoban: The Government are committed to a healthy housing and mortgage market.
	The Financial Services Authority (FSA) is conducting a wholesale review of mortgage regulation in the UK, the 'Mortgage Market Review'.
	The Government believe that it is right for the FSA to ensure that the UK mortgage market has responsible lending practices. We will continue to work with the FSA, mortgage lenders and intermediaries, and consumer groups to ensure a mortgage market that is sustainable for all participants.
	The FSA published 'Mortgage Market Review: Responsible Lending' in July. This paper forms one part of an ongoing consultation process.
	The FSA has stated that it will fully assess the potential impact on the market before implementing any rule changes.

Mortgages

Clive Betts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the comparative effects on potential new house-buyers of  (a) the Financial Services Authority's responsible mortgage-lending proposals and  (b) the lending proposals of the European Commission.

Mark Hoban: The Government are committed to a healthy housing and mortgage market. The Financial Services Authority (FSA) is conducting a wholesale review of mortgage regulation in the UK, the 'Mortgage Market Review'.
	The Government believe that it is right for the FSA to ensure that the UK mortgage market has responsible lending practices. We will continue to work with the FSA, mortgage lenders and intermediaries, and consumer groups to ensure a mortgage market that is sustainable for all participants.
	The FSA published 'Mortgage Market Review: Responsible Lending' in July. This forms one part of an ongoing consultation process.
	The FSA has stated that it will fully assess the potential impact on the market before implementing any rule changes.
	The European Commission has not yet announced any proposals on responsible lending. Should any proposals be put forward, the Secretariat-General requires that all Commission initiatives with significant impacts be supported by an impact assessment.

National Insurance Contributions: Portsmouth

Penny Mordaunt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the revenue forgone through  (a) implementing and  (b) administering an employers' national insurance contribution holiday scheme in the Portsmouth city council area in the period to which the provisions of the holiday scheme under the National Insurance Contributions Bill will apply.

David Gauke: holding answer 25 November 2010
	The Government have no plans to introduce national insurance contribution exemptions based on city council areas. The regional national insurance holiday for new businesses is targeted at those regional labour markets most reliant on public sector employment. Labour markets generally extended much wider than city council area boundaries. For this reason, and for reasons of administrative practicality, eligibility for the holiday is defined by region. The Government have made no estimate of the impacts of such options.

Social Security Benefits

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assumptions he used in respect of levels of long-term unemployment when making his forecast for social security spending in each year to 2015.

Chris Grayling: I have been asked to reply.
	The Department for Work and Pensions uses the claimant count unemployment forecasts published by the Office for Budget Responsibility to forecast social security spending.
	The Office for Budget Responsibility published an updated claimant count forecast on 29 November.

Social Security Benefits

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate of the average monetary cost to the Exchequer of each additional person claiming jobseeker's allowance he used in making his forecast for social security spending in each year to 2015.

Chris Grayling: I have been asked to reply.
	The information is in the table.
	
		
			  Average annual cost per jobseeker's allowance claimant 
			   £ 
			 2010-11 5,400 
			 2011-12 5,400 
			 2012-13 5,500 
			 2013-14 5,500 
			 2014-15 5,700 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are consistent with the Office for Budget Responsibility's Economic and Fiscal Outlook published on 29 November 2010. 2. Figures include jobseeker's allowance, housing benefit and council tax benefit. 3. Figures have been rounded to the nearest £100.

Social Security Benefits: Expenditure

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what changes were made between the forecasts of expenditure on each benefit type made in  (a) the Office for Budget Responsibility pre-budget forecast and  (b) the June 2010 Budget; and which such changes were attributable to (i) decisions on policy and (ii) changes to economic forecasts;
	(2)  whether any revisions were made to the economic forecast by the Office for Budget Responsibility between the pre-Budget forecast and the Budget forecast due to changes in marginal deduction rates in the proposals of the June 2010 Budget.

Justine Greening: The information requested falls within the responsibilities of the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), and I have asked the OBR to reply.

Students: Loans

John Pugh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what controls he exercises over arrangements made by the Student Loans Company to securitise its loans.

David Gauke: The Shareholder Executive in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has lead responsibility for exploring options to monetise the Student Loan Portfolio including looking at securitisation options. This work is ongoing and the Government intend to reach a decision on whether and how to monetise the portfolio by Budget 2011. The Student Loans Company is owned by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Scottish Executive.

Tax Yields

David Davis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many settlements under controlled foreign companies legislation have yielded  (a) under £1 million,  (b) between £1 million and £10 million,  (c) between £10 million and £100 million,  (d) between £100 million and £1 billion and  (e) above £1 billion in each of the last three financial years; and what the total yield was from all such settlements;
	(2)  how much tax was at risk in cases under controlled foreign companies legislation in each of the last three years; and in how many cases the tax at risk was  (a) under £1 million,  (b) between £1 million and £10 million,  (c) between £10 million and £100 million,  (d) between £100 million and £1 billion and  (e) above £1 billion;
	(3)  how many cases have been settled under controlled foreign companies (CFC) legislation so as to produce lower yields to HM Revenue and Customs than would have been the case if such legislation had been applied in full in each of the last three financial years; how many of these settlements were  (a) under £1 million,  (b) between £1 million and £10 million,  (c) between £10 million and £100 million,  (d) between £100 million and £1 billion and  (e) above £1 billion; and what the total difference is between the level of the settlements and the maximum which would have been due if the CFC legislation had been fully applied.

David Gauke: holding answer 22 November 2010
	It is difficult to give a precise answer to this question as the CFC inquiry is often part of a wider investigation and a settlement of a CFC dispute may have been included in an overall settlement figure. There is also a danger that providing the information in the format requested could lead to the identification of specific taxpayers. Our best estimates of the total yield and the number of settlements falling within the following bands are:
	
		
			   2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 
			 Number settlements yield < £1 million 79 64 67 
			 Number settlements yield > £1 million and < £10 million 6 5 16 
			 Number settlements yield > £10 million 4 3 6 
		
	
	The total recorded yield from all the identified CFC settlements in the last three financial years (2007-08 to 2009-10), is £719,446,086.
	The amount of tax at risk in respect of any UK company with a holding in a CFC depends on the facts and until an inquiry is completed cannot be more than an estimate. As the facts are established during the course of an inquiry, the tax at risk in any case fluctuates as the inquiry proceeds. Consequently it is not possible to provide an answer to this question.
	In every case where a CFC inquiry has been settled in each of the last three financial years, the CFC rules have been applied in full to establish the extent of any liability, or in some cases that there is no liability.

Taxation

Nick Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his most recent estimate is of the contribution to the UK tax base of each sector of the economy.

David Gauke: Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs produces a breakdown by broad industrial sector for corporation tax, pay-as-you-earn income tax and class 1 national insurance contributions (NICs) and value added tax (VAT).
	Historical figures for corporation tax receipts paid by several broadly-defined business sectors are regularly updated and published in Table 11.1, on the HMRC National Statistics website. Receipts information is currently available up to 2009-10. The sectors are defined by HMRC's Summary Trade Classifications. The latest update is available here:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/corporate_tax/table11_1.pdf
	PAYE income tax and class 1 NICs received by HMRC in respect of employee and employer liabilities in 2009-10 are split by sector as follows:
	
		
			  2009-10 
			  Sector  £ billion 
			 Agriculture, Hunting and Forestry 0.9 
			 Mining and Quarrying 1.0 
			 Manufacturing 23.5 
			 Electricity, Gas and Water Supply 1.5 
			 Construction 11.9 
			 Wholesale and Retail Trade 21.3 
			 Hotels and Restaurants 3.7 
			 Transport, Storage and Communication 12.3 
			 Financial Intermediation 23.2 
			 Real Estate, Renting and Business Activities 43.3 
			 Public Administration and Defence 12.5 
			 Education 20.7 
			 Health and Social Work 19.5 
			 Other Community, Social and Personal Service Activities 7.3 
			 Occupational Pensions 10.1 
			 Other -0.3 
			 Total 212.4 
		
	
	The sectors are defined by the Office for National Statistics' Standard Industrial Classification 2003. The occupational pensions figure in the table above includes all income tax on occupational pensions regardless of the sector in which the person was previously employed.
	Declared VAT is published by trade group in the VAT factsheet, table 2.3:
	https://www.uktradeinfo.com/index.cfm?task=factvat
	Given that sectors for corporation tax and VAT and PAYE income tax and class 1 NICs are defined differently these sets of figures are not directly comparable.

Taxation: Carbon Emissions

William Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proposals his Department has for the  (a) taxation of and  (b) establishment of a floor price for carbon.

Justine Greening: The Budget announced that the Government would publish proposals to establish greater support and certainty to the carbon price by reforming the climate change levy.
	A consultation will be published shortly. Subject to consultation, the Government intend to bring forward legislation in Finance Bill 2011.

Taxation: Private Rented Housing

Graham Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many private sector landlords required to pay tax arrears by HM Revenue and Customs in the latest period for which figures are available are resident  (a) in the UK and  (b) overseas.

David Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs does not hold this information; I would however refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 30 November 2010,  Official Report, column 682W.

VAT

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the average annual cost of the January 2011 increase in the rate of value added tax to each income decile of retired households.

David Gauke: The Government are committed to reducing the Budget deficit while supporting the most vulnerable. Many essential items that pensioners buy are zero-rated, while others are reduced-rated. Additionally, the Government are committed to providing fair support to pensioners, and will uprate the basic state pension by a triple guarantee of earnings, prices and 2.5%-whichever is highest-from April 2011. The Government will increase the basic state pension in April 2011 by at least the equivalent of RPI.
	Additionally, as stated by the Institute for Fiscal Studies, expenditure might be a better proxy for lifetime resources than current income, and as such it might be more appropriate to use expenditure deciles for this type of analysis. Chart A3 and A4 in Annex A of the June Budget set out the impacts of indirect tax changes by expenditure deciles, and show that these changes in cash and percentage terms are progressive.
	The following table provides estimates in 2011-12 for the average annual cost by income decile of pensioner households from the change in the rate of value added tax. Note these estimates are rounded to the nearest £5.
	
		
			  Income decile of pensioner households  Average loss (£ per year) 
			 Bottom 125 
			 2(nd) 135 
			 3(rd) 125 
			 4(th) 135 
			 5(th) 155 
			 6(th) 190 
			 7(th) 225 
			 8(th) 255 
			 9(th) 345 
			 Top 475 
		
	
	These estimates provided here have been calculated from HM Treasury's tax and benefit static micro-simulation model using Expenditure and Food Survey 2005 to 2008 data uprated to 2011-12 levels of prices and earnings. The model does not take into account behavioural changes in response to changes to the tax and benefit system or economic conditions and so there is significant uncertainty around the true impact of the value added tax change on retired households.

Timber

William Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the compliance of  (a) his Department,  (b) its agencies and  (c) its non-departmental public bodies with the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation's criteria for sourcing sustainable timber.

Justine Greening: HM Treasury Group (including: the Asset Protection Agency, the Debt Management Office and the Office for Budget Responsibility) apply the UK Government guidelines for timber procurement policy as specified by 'the Central Point of Expertise on Timber' on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
	The furniture procured by HM Treasury Group is sourced from framework suppliers that comply with the Government Buying Standards. The Government Buying Standard for furniture requires that timber must be purchased in accordance with UK timber procurement policy.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan and Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Nicholas Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many military personnel  (a) who were killed and  (b) who lost a limb in operations in (i) Iraq and (ii) Afghanistan were aged 21 years or younger.

Nick Harvey: Between 7 October 2001 and 25 November 2010, 37 UK Service personnel aged 21 or under have died as a result of deployment to Op Telic (Iraq), of which 31 were the result of hostile action. 86 UK service personnel aged 21 or under died as a result of deployment to Op Herrick (Afghanistan), of which 82 were the result of hostile action.
	Between 1 April 2006 and 31 December 2009, fewer than five UK service personnel aged 21 or under have suffered a traumatic or surgical amputation as a result of an injury sustained while deployed on Op Telic (Iraq). 33 UK service personnel aged 21 or under have suffered a traumatic or surgical amputation as a result of an injury sustained while deployed on Op Herrick (Afghanistan). These range from the loss of part of a finger or toe up to the loss of entire limbs. Figures for 2010 will be available in the new year. Numbers have not been verified prior to 1 April 2006.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average response time was for  (a) Harriers and  (b) Tornados when deployed in Afghanistan following a call for close air support from air troops in action in each of the last two years.

Nick Harvey: holding answer 16 November 2010
	 I am withholding the information as its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces. However, I can confirm that there are no significant differences between the response times of these aircraft.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what the cost was of supplying UK forces serving in Afghanistan utilising truck convoys from Pakistan in each of the last four years; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  which trucking companies are contracted by his Department to supply UK forces in Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) currently uses SEAFAST Logistics to deliver materiel from UK depots to Camp Bastion and Kandahar in Afghanistan through a multi-modal transport contract. The element covering transportation by road in Pakistan and Afghanistan has been sub-contracted.
	The MOD has a contract with Purple Foodservice Solutions to provide food to UK personnel deployed in the UK and overseas, currently including Afghanistan. Purple Foods is a consortium of three companies, including Supreme Foodservice, who handle logistic arrangements from the UK into Afghanistan via Pakistan.
	We do not have visibility of payments made under the sub-contracts placed by SEAFAST or Supreme Foodservice for transportation within Pakistan and Afghanistan and the costs are not therefore separately identified within amounts paid by us.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many force elements at readiness are required to provide close air support in Afghanistan on a long-term basis.

Nick Harvey: I am withholding the information as its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department has made of the readiness of the Afghan national security forces to take control of security in Afghanistan by the end of 2014.

Nick Harvey: holding answer 29 November 2010
	The NATO Training Mission Afghanistan, of which UK forces form an important part, provides regular assessments of the ability of the Afghan national army and the Afghan national police.
	As at the middle of November, the strength of the Afghan national security forces stands at around 144,000 for the Afghan national army, and around 116,000 for the Afghan national police. We assess that the growth in both capacity and capability of the Afghan forces is on track to meet the target of transferring lead responsibility for security to the Afghan forces by the end of 2014.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with what frequency, and by what means, the Government plan to assess the readiness of the Afghan national security forces to take control of security in Afghanistan by the end of 2014.

Nick Harvey: holding answer 29 November 2010
	The NATO Training Mission Afghanistan (NTM-A), of which UK forces form an important part, assesses on a monthly basis the ability of the Afghan national army by brigade and corps and assesses the ability of the Afghan national police by province.
	The assessments rate the units based on their ability to operate with varying degrees of international security assistance force (ISAF) support. These assessments will continue in order to ensure that Afghan forces are ready to take the lead for security as the process of transition moves forward.

Air Force: Military Bases

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was spent under each budgetary heading on running costs for each RAF base in the UK in each of the last five financial years; and what the equivalent figures are for 2010-11.

Nick Harvey: Under the current budgetary structure, the available figures for expenditure for RAF Stations in the UK since financial year 2005-06 and their planned budgets for financial year 2010-11 are contained in the following table. Expenditure on satellite and lodger units is included in the figures for the appropriate parent station. Service personnel pay costs are not attributable to individual stations from financial year 2009-10 and beyond.
	
		
			  Expenditure by station 2005-06 
			  £ million 
			   Personnel  Infrastructure  Inventory/Other consumption  Equipment support costs  Other costs  Receipts and o ther i ncome  Total 
			 RAF Cottesmore 51.00 6.13 15.05 0.83 1.58 -0.05 74.54 
			 RAF Marham 86.57 11.92 18.75 1.43 4.06 -0.12 122.61 
			 RAF Spadeadam 5.33 6.51 0.43 0.35 0.23 -0.29 12.56 
			 RAF Coningsby 40.98 9.35 6.05 1.05 1.65 -0.26 58.82 
			 RAF Leeming 50.86 8.92 10.16 2.90 2.67 -0.11 75.40 
			 RAF Leuchars 63.78 10.25 16.55 1.27 2.11 -0.27 93.69 
			 RAF Lossiemouth 78.34 6.11 22.01 1.15 1.46 -0.88 108.19 
			 RAF Brize Norton 125.95 21.02 42.43 4.67 5.50 -5.07 194.50 
			 RAF Honington 73.60 7.40 5.79 1.14 3.58 -0.43 91.08 
			 RAF Lyneham 97.32 14.99 24.54 2.95 6.37 -2.72 143.45 
			 RAF Northolt 13.59 2.38 1.98 10.68 1.07 -5.76 23.94 
			 RAF Waddington 71.94 9.68 9.53 1.39 6.01 -0.21 98.34 
			 RAF Kinloss 69.18 5.63 18.87 1.17 2.48 -0.60 96.73 
			 RAF Boulmer-UK Air Surveillance And Control System (ASACS) 32.68 5.44 1.45 0.72 1.18 -0.16 41.31 
			 RAF Fylingdales 5.72 6.79 0.21 4.02 -0.23 -0.03 16.48 
			 RAF Halton (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- 
			 RAF Cranwell (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- 
			 RAF Linton on Ouse (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- 
			 RAF Shawbury (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- 
			 RAF Valley (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- 
			 RAF Cosford (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- 
			 RAF St Mawgan (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- 
			 RAF Wittering 35.85 9.00 11.11 1.14 1.41 -0.11 58.40 
			 RAF High Wycombe 5.51 3.75 0.72 4.72 0.71 -0.13 15.28 
			 RAF Brampton/Wyton/Henlow (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- 
			 RAF Odiham 0.05 5.62 14.70 2.87 2.35 -0.25 25.34 
			 RAF Benson 1.05 2.72 8.84 0.94 2.65 -0.35 15.85 
			 (1) Not available. 
		
	
	
		
			  Expenditure by station 2006-07 
			  £ million 
			   Personnel  Infrastructure  Inventory/Other consumption  Equipment support costs  Other costs  Receipts and other income  Total 
			 RAF Cottesmore 65.62 3.13 19.74 1.39 1.80 -0.52 91.16 
			 RAF Marham 91.87 11.73 28.55 1.41 2.99 -0.88 135.67 
			 RAF Spadeadam 5.16 3.18 0.43 0.49 0.26 -0.22 9.30 
			 RAF Coningsby 64.04 9.16 15.67 1.24 2.01 -1.15 90.97 
			 RAF Leeming 47.00 8.17 8.88 3.24 2.13 -0.47 68.95 
			 RAF Leuchars 64.68 9.82 16.95 1.28 1.61 -0.47 93.87 
			 RAF Lossiemouth 77.65 4.87 20.71 1.34 2.47 -0.74 106.30 
			 RAF Brize Norton 111.39 19.17 47.10 4.34 4.61 -4.63 181.98 
			 RAF Honington 88.62 2.89 5.26 1.22 3.86 -0.53 101.32 
			 RAF Lyneham 82.36 12.10 22.33 3.07 4.02 -2.44 121.44 
			 RAF Northolt 14.00 2.18 1.90 11.81 1.04 -5.83 25.10 
			 RAF Waddington 78.52 4.45 5.26 1.67 3.55 -0.48 92.97 
			 RAF Kinloss 66.55 4.49 17.75 1.32 2.48 -0.93 91.66 
			 RAF Boulmer (ASACS) 45.19 9.39 1.69 1.15 1.70 -0.54 58.58 
			 RAF Fylingdales 5.71 1.42 0.27 8.16 0.19 -0.05 15.70 
			 RAF Halton 22.47 2.75 2.50 7.09 0.98 -0.28 35.51 
			 RAF Cranwell 32.72 4.37 8.34 18.49 1.36 -0.80 64.48 
			 RAF Linton on Ouse 17.45 1.54 2.46 2.55 0.50 -0.10 24.40 
			 RAF Shawbury 12.77 1.63 3.95 7.45 0.66 -0.30 26.16 
			 RAF Valley 15.84 2.57 12.10 16.89 0.71 -0.11 48.00 
			 RAF Cosford 52.31 5.18 2.31 6.57 1.75 -3.55 64.57 
			 RAF St Mawgan (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- 0.00 
			 RAF Wittering 66.75 4.64 13.04 2.51 3.78 -0.41 90.31 
			 RAF High Wycombe (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- 0.00 
			 RAF Brampton/Wyton/Henlow 9.47 16.00 2.81 1.49 0.82 -0.20 30.39 
			 RAF Odiham 0.00 5.05 12.52 1.24 1.27 -1.08 19.00 
			 RAF Benson 0.70 2.59 5.57 2.11 0.97 - 11.94 
			 (1) Not available. 
		
	
	
		
			  Expenditure by station 2007-08 
			  £ million 
			   Personnel  Infrastructure  Inventory/Other consumption  Equipment support costs  Other costs  Receipts and other income  Total 
			 RAF Cottesmore 61.92 2.66 34.12 0.91 2.45 -0.50 101.56 
			 RAF Marham 95.65 10.50 33.85 1.55 4.57 -0.95 145.17 
			 RAF Spadeadam 4.89 2.70 0.48 0.42 0.33 -0.33 8.49 
			 RAF Coningsby 63.50 8.87 21.62 1.20 3.36 -0.88 97.67 
			 RAF Leeming 37.81 7.59 6.04 1.38 2.51 -0.84 54.49 
			 RAF Leuchars 60.18 8.89 17.38 1.36 2.56 -0.53 89.84 
			 RAF Lossiemouth 69.14 4.83 27.88 1.26 2.69 -1.44 104.36 
			 RAF Brize Norton 104.04 19.77 72.47 2.41 8.02 -4.95 201.76 
			 RAF Honington 88.14 2.62 7.97 1.25 4.25 -0.22 104.01 
			 RAF Lyneham 76.65 4.24 27.85 7.85 4.98 -2.33 119.24 
			 RAF Northolt 13.30 1.85 2.77 11.48 1.87 -6.76 24.51 
			 RAF Waddington 75.90 4.77 12.59 1.38 4.72 -0.54 98.82 
			 RAF Kinloss 61.53 5.03 17.16 1.32 2.83 -0.77 87.10 
			 RAF Boulmer (ASACS) 43.99 9.30 1.35 1.12 2.16 -0.69 57.23 
			 RAF Fylingdales 5.06 0.32 -0.16 8.04 0.23 -0.05 13.44 
			 RAF Halton 16.21 2.92 2.19 7.48 1.07 -0.33 29.54 
			 RAF Cranwell 22.69 3.63 7.60 19.31 1.32 -0.12 54.43 
			 RAF Linton on Ouse 14.27 1.00 2.73 2.64 0.57 -0.15 21.06 
			 RAF Shawbury 11.95 1.50 3.20 7.92 0.59 -0.54 24.62 
			 RAF Valley 14.67 1.64 12.22 8.74 0.81 -0.34 37.74 
			 RAF Cosford 47.66 3.61 2.37 6.81 1.98 -4.15 58.28 
			 RAF St Mawgan 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
			 RAF Wittering 68.91 3.34 6.98 2.65 4.17 -0.40 85.65 
			 RAF High Wycombe 6.26 3.07 0.91 5.61 1.06 -0.38 16.53 
			 RAF Brampton/Wyton/Henlow 9.00 15.89 2.28 1.49 0.64 -0.24 29.06 
			 RAF Odiham 0.00 4.51 10.16 0.48 2.67 -0.57 17.25 
			 RAF Benson 0.15 2.57 12.29 0.56 2.18 - 17.75 
		
	
	
		
			  Expenditure by station 2008-09 
			  £ million 
			   Personnel  Infrastructure  Inventory/Other consumption  Equipment support costs  Other costs  Receipts and other income  Total 
			 RAF Cottesmore 67.16 3.30 30.33 0.85 2.56 -0.59 103.61 
			 RAF Marham 95.33 14.00 27.53 1.57 5.36 -1.03 142.76 
			 RAF Spadeadam 5.18 3.22 0.51 0.59 0.35 -0.23 9.62 
			 RAF Coningsby 63.46 9.71 24.42 1.22 3.79 -0.99 101.61 
			 RAF Leeming 25.23 10.26 6.33 1.03 1.82 -0.57 44.10 
			 RAF Leuchars 56.25 10.91 17.31 1.16 2.55 -0.47 87.71 
			 RAF Lossiemouth 65.39 4.72 26.62 1.40 2.99 -1.12 100.00 
			 RAF Brize Norton 104.77 20.25 95.71 3.47 10.50 -5.61 229.09 
			 RAF Honington 89.01 3.37 7.83 1.54 4.21 -0.30 105.66 
			 RAF Lyneham 75.93 4.49 31.21 6.90 4.46 -2.44 120.55 
			 RAF Northolt 11.40 2.28 3.03 12.02 1.71 -6.77 23.67 
			 RAF Waddington 81.04 4.90 15.85 2.11 4.99 -0.53 108.36 
			 RAF Kinloss 61.29 4.96 23.29 1.42 3.31 -1.03 93.24 
			 RAF Boulmer (ASACS) 42.92 10.02 1.46 1.13 2.15 -0.65 57.03 
			 RAF Fylingdales 4.85 0.10 0.31 9.52 0.49 -0.04 15.23 
			 RAF Halton 17.11 4.23 5.13 8.34 1.53 -0.31 36.03 
			 RAF Cranwell 20.47 4.75 8.48 21.15 1.44 -0.87 55.42 
			 RAF Linton On Ouse 14.69 1.73 3.22 2.80 0.66 -0.15 22.95 
			 RAF Shawbury 12.30 1.99 4.10 8.58 0.64 -0.15 27.46 
			 RAF Valley 13.52 2.51 12.16 7.78 0.87 -0.15 36.69 
			 RAF Cosford 49.94 5.80 1.88 6.92 2.33 -3.00 63.87 
			 RAF St Mawgan 9.59 2.33 0.83 0.69 0.97 -1.48 12.93 
			 RAF Wittering 69.77 4.05 4.61 2.57 4.41 -0.45 84.96 
			 RAF High Wycombe 7.29 4.06 1.10 5.79 1.13 -0.09 19.28 
			 RAF Brampton/Wyton/Henlow 8.12 16.09 2.18 1.48 0.80 -0.24 28.43 
			 RAF Odiham 0.00 5.55 12.68 1.99 2.60 -0.49 22.33 
			 RAF Benson 0.38 2.78 10.59 0.72 2.30 - 16.77 
		
	
	
		
			  Expenditure by station 2009-10 
			  £ million 
			   Personnel (Civilian)  Infrastructure  Inventory/Other consumption  Equipment support costs  Other costs  Receipts and other income  Total 
			 RAF Cottesmore 5.27 2.86 22.53 0.88 2.89 -0.64 33.79 
			 RAF Marham 6.62 14.25 29.15 1.84 5.35 -1.01 56.20 
			 RAF Spadeadam 0.48 0.68 0.62 0.39 0.35 -0.24 2.28 
			 RAF Coningsby 5.67 9.79 17.98 1.15 3.89 -0.96 37.52 
			 RAF Leeming 4.66 10.45 5.00 1.07 1.66 -0.43 22.41 
			 RAF Leuchars 4.66 11.22 5.92 1.12 1.76 -0.46 24.22 
			 RAF Lossiemouth 6.95 4.62 25.20 1.33 3.05 -0.46 40.69 
			 RAF Brize Norton 13.81 19.13 70.42 3.54 9.63 -6.43 110.10 
			 RAF Honington 8.19 3.74 6.50 1.50 3.99 -0.38 23.54 
			 RAF Lyneham 4.27 4.04 24.76 7.17 4.51 -1.50 43.25 
			 RAF Northolt 1.61 5.49 3.22 13.57 2.15 -6.82 19.22 
			 RAF Waddington 6.12 5.89 13.05 1.31 3.47 -3.17 26.67 
			 RAF Kinloss 6.69 4.26 13.91 1.53 2.96 -0.96 28.39 
			 RAF Boulmer (ASACS) 4.11 9.05 1.06 1.11 2.25 -0.57 17.01 
			 RAF Fylingdales 0.24 0.13 0.19 9.91 0.24 -0.02 10.69 
			 RAF Halton 3.62 4.15 4.07 9.19 1.55 -0.27 22.31 
			 RAF Cranwell 4.85 4.14 7.17 22.87 1.25 -0.68 39.60 
			 RAF Linton on Ouse 2.80 1.68 2.88 2.91 0.63 -0.18 10.72 
			 RAF Shawbury 1.66 1.38 3.29 8.73 0.69 -0.34 15.41 
			 RAF Valley 1.24 2.24 9.63 7.72 0.70 -0.42 21.11 
			 RAF Cosford 17.97 4.94 2.63 6.33 2.02 -3.44 30.45 
			 RAF St Mawgan 3.86 4.33 1.28 0.92 0.83 -0.36 10.86 
			 RAF Wittering 6.96 4.42 4.24 2.89 4.56 -0.46 22.61 
			 RAF High Wycombe 1.46 4.13 1.04 6.14 1.05 -0.08 13.74 
			 RAF Brampton/Wyton/Henlow 2.81 13.74 2.44 1.44 0.62 -0.24 20.81 
			 RAF Odiham 0.00 5.30 14.27 0.84 3.91 -0.91 23.41 
			 RAF Benson 0.31 3.26 8.13 1.08 2.65 -0.42 15.01 
		
	
	
		
			  Planned budget by station 2010 -1 1 
			  £ million 
			   Personnel  (Civilian )  Infrastructure  Inventory/Other consumption  Equipment support costs  Other costs  Receipts and other income  Total 
			 RAF Cottesmore 4.95 2.66 21.19 0.84 2.50 -0.03 32.11 
			 RAF Marham 7.90 5.69 36.83 1.65 4.76 -0.11 56.72 
			 RAF Spadeadam 0.49 0.87 0.47 0.42 0.30 -0.25 2.30 
			 RAF Coningsby 6.15 4.82 28.70 1.14 3.00 -0.27 43.54 
			 RAF Leeming 5.08 4.29 5.05 1.17 1.61 -0.30 16.90 
			 RAF Leuchars 4.90 7.00 9.92 1.15 1.22 -0.20 23.99 
			 RAF Lossiemouth 7.46 4.90 40.82 1.34 2.90 -0.15 57.27 
			 RAF Brize Norton 13.62 9.72 97.75 6.21 8.18 -6.15 129.33 
			 RAF Honington 9.10 2.77 6.63 1.68 3.92 -0.28 23.82 
			 RAF Lyneham 4.48 4.92 31.50 6.79 4.28 -2.11 49.86 
			 RAF Northolt 1.48 4.09 4.28 15.03 2.09 -5.46 21.51 
			 RAF Waddington 6.54 5.70 19.60 1.99 5.10 -0.51 38.42 
			 RAF Kinloss 6.52 3.98 7.88 1.37 2.67 -0.74 21.68 
			 RAF Boulmer (ASACS) 3.98 8.83 1.36 1.38 1.93 -0.29 17.19 
			 RAF Fylingdales 0.23 0.11 0.30 9.67 0.29 -0.03 10.57 
			 RAF Halton 3.50 4.06 2.64 6.69 1.45 -0.23 18.11 
			 RAF Cranwell 5.30 3.51 7.94 24.21 1.30 -0.40 41.86 
			 RAF Linton on Ouse 3.24 1.12 3.12 2.44 0.54 -0.12 10.34 
			 RAF Shawbury 1.76 1.31 1.84 7.72 0.57 -0.06 13.14 
			 RAF Valley 1.41 2.05 12.61 7.92 0.70 -0.22 24.47 
			 RAF Cosford 18.51 4.68 2.73 6.64 1.73 -2.15 32.14 
			 RAF St Mawgan 3.68 2.97 1.46 0.91 0.99 -0.15 9.86 
			 RAF Wittering 8.85 4.13 5.38 3.28 4.59 -0.02 26.21 
			 RAF High Wycombe 1.78 7.70 1.06 0.75 0.95 -0.04 12.20 
			 RAF Brampton/Wyton/Henlow 2.99 13.12 2.46 1.39 0.63 -0.12 20.47 
			 RAF Odiham 0.05 2.85 16.34 1.19 2.52 -0.44 22.51 
			 RAF Benson 0.52 3.13 8.61 0.94 2.50 -0.38 15.32

Air Force: Military Bases

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the future of RAF Leuchars; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: The Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) had implications for the entire Defence Estate. Changes to the Royal Air Force force structure mean that RAF Kinloss and two other bases will not be required by the RAF; re-basing of forces in Germany is being accelerated; and greater efficiencies need to be made through estate rationalisation. The Ministry of Defence is now addressing the full range of defence estate issues involved so as to identify and subsequently deliver a long term cost effective solution for defence basing and the estate as a whole.
	This is inevitably a complex piece of work going beyond the bases directly affected by the SDSR. No decisions have yet been made, including on the potential future use of those bases affected, and we do not expect to be in a position to make those decisions until spring 2011.

Armed Forces: Cadets

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many members of the  (a) Air Cadets,  (b) Sea Cadets and  (c) Combined Cadet Forces there were on the latest date for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many members of the Combined Cadet Forces there were on the latest date for which figures are available.

Andrew Robathan: Defence Analytical Services and Advice (DASA) publish the United Kingdom Defence Statistics each year. This is available in the Library of the House and Chapter 2 contains the number of cadets connected with each service since 1997.
	The following table gives information on the number of cadets in the Combined Cadet Force, Sea Cadet Corps, Army Cadet Force and the Air Training Corps at 1 April 2010 to the nearest thousand:
	
		
			   Number 
			 Combined Cadet Force 44,000 
			 Sea Cadet Corps 8,000 
			 Army Cadet Force 47,000 
			 Air Training Corps 34,000 
			 Total 133,000

Armed Forces: Health Services

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the current shortfall is in respect of each rank of reservist medical personnel; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: A breakdown of Defence Medical Services (DMS) reserve medical personnel manning levels are provided in the following tables. While shortfalls exist in some specialties the DMS continue to meet all operational requirements placed on them. Medical support to deployed operations is absolutely vital and there is no question of British forces deploying on military operations without the appropriate medical support.
	The reserve forces play a vital role in both overseas operations and in the defence of the UK. Their primary role is to provide additional capability, particularly when our regular forces are operating at maximum effort. The reserve forces are an integral part of the UK's military capability for a wide variety of different types of operations.
	The total number of reserve personnel required by the DMS is neither calculated nor held by rank; therefore shortfall is shown by specialty only, as at 1 June 2010.
	
		
			  Defence Dental Reserves 
			  Job/specialty  Requirement  Trained strength  Shortfall 
			 Dental Officers 33 17 16 
			 Dental Nurses 23 12 11 
			 Dental Technicians 2 1 1 
		
	
	
		
			  Medical Support Staff Reserves 
			  Job/specialty  Requirement  Trained Strength  Shortfall 
			 Pharmacist 31 17 14 
			 Physiotherapist 37 57 -20 
			 Biomedical Scientist/Lab Technician/Tech Officer 66 28 38 
			 Operating Department Practitioner 149 63 86 
			 Healthcare Assistant 270 40 230 
			 ODP Tech Officer 10 3 7 
			 Radiographer 22 16 6 
			 Radiography Tech Officer 22 10 12 
			 EH Technician 21 9 12 
			 Pharmacy Technician 68 6 62 
			 Medical Services Officers 265 201 64 
			 Medical Assistant (Paramedic) 21 16 5 
			 Med Admin/Med Assistant 51 34 17 
			 Medical Assistants/Combat Medical Technicians/ CMT Paramedics 1,093 854 239 
		
	
	
		
			  Consultant Reserves 
			  Job/specialty  Requirement  Trained Strength  shortfall 
			 Consultant Burns and Plastics Surgeons 12 2 10 
			 Consultant-Clinical Chemist 1 0 1 
			 Consultant-Medicine 24 9 15 
			 Consultant Anaesthetist 77 31 46 
			 Consultant Emergency Medicine (Accident and Emergency) 34 11 23 
			 Consultant General Surgeons 52 32 20 
			 Consultant Obs-Gynae 0 1 -1 
			 Consultant Haematology 12 2 10 
			 Consultant Maxillofacial Surgeons 2 2 0 
			 Consultant Microbiology 11 2 9 
			 Consultant Neurologist 4 3 1 
			 Consultant Psychiatrists 10 2 8 
			 Consultant Radiologist 10 3 7 
		
	
	
		
			  Reserve Nurses 
			  Job/specialty  Requirement  Trained Strength  shortfall 
			 Burns 6 3 3 
			 Burns and Plastics 30 5 25 
			 Community Psychiatric Nurse 23 38 -15 
			 ENT 2 0 2 
			 Emergency Medicine 70 68 2 
			 Emergency Medicine Senior 22 13 9 
			 Genito-Urinary 10 13 -3 
			 Clinical Governance 2 1 1 
			 High Dependency Unit 40 28 12 
			 Infection Control 22 15 7 
			 Intensive Care Senior Nurse 22 14 8 
			 Intensive Care Unit 88 51 37 
			 Neurosurgery 25 2 23 
			 Nurse Neuro/Mental Nurse 6 3 3 
			 Nurse Midwife 62 10 52 
			 Nurse Theatre 45 37 8 
			 Nurse Theatre Senior Sister 4 1 3 
			 Nurse/AHP student 59 30 29 
			 Occupational Health 10 9 1 
			 Ophthalmology 32 5 27 
			 Orthopaedic 30 15 15 
			 Paediatric 8 8 0 
			 Primary Health Care 31 37 -6 
			 Registered Nurse (A)(1) 454 223 231 
			 Registered Nurse (A) Emergency Medicine 21 15 6 
			 Registered Nurse (A) Genito Urinary 10 2 8 
			 Registered Nurse (A) Mental Health 23 15 8 
			 RGN (Generalist) 153 116 37 
			 (1) RGN (Generalists) have now been replaced with the term Registered Nurse (A), but the two categories and their respective requirements have not yet been merged.

Armed Forces: Injuries

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much funding his Department has allocated for the treatment of seriously injured personnel in each year of the comprehensive spending review period.

Nick Harvey: Funding for the treatment of wounded personnel has been, and will continue to be, made available to match clinical requirements. Expenditure attributable to those injured as a result of operations cannot be separately identified. For example, costs for the Defence Medical and Rehabilitation Centre at Headley Court cover the treatment of all seen there, regardless of the reason for their injury.
	The strategic defence and security review announced that the provision of health care to service personnel will be enhanced by an extra £20 million per annum in the spending review years of 2011-12 to 2014-15. This will be used to pay for additional medical staff and to deliver better mental health care facilities.

Armed Forces: Injuries

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much funding his Department allocated for the treatment of seriously injured personnel in  (a) 2008-09 and  (b) 2009-10.

Nick Harvey: Funding for the treatment of wounded personnel has been, and will continue to be, made available to match clinical requirements. Expenditure attributable to those seriously injured as a result of operations cannot be identified. For example, costs for the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre at Headley Court cover the treatment of all seen there regardless of the reason for their injury. Expenditure attributable to all those injured on operations is currently claimed back from the Treasury. In 2008-09, the amount reclaimed was £18.2 million. In 2009-10, the amount reclaimed was £20.1 million.

Armed Forces: Training

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  which compulsory training schemes armed forces personnel must complete in order to be designated as fit for combat;
	(2)  which optional training schemes are available to armed forces personnel in advance of becoming fit for combat.

Nick Harvey: All personnel receive the appropriate training prior to deployment. This includes pre-deployment training specific to the role they are expected to undertake. The quantity and nature of this training varies between individuals and units depending on existing skill levels and the function to be filled on deployment but will build on existing military skills obtained from recruit training, trade training and ongoing development training relevant to their particular service and specialisation.

Army

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of the required complement of infantry battalions is represented by their present strength.

Andrew Robathan: The question has been interpreted to refer to the required number ("establishment") and the actual number ("strength") of personnel in the Infantry battalions. The figures provided are peacetime establishment numbers but it should be noted that a battalion deploying on operations will be augmented by further Infantry and specialist personnel, as required, to ensure that it has the strength required for its operational role. Such adjustments are not included in the table because of their temporary nature.
	The strength figures given are for Infantry-trained officers and soldiers serving at regimental duty. They do not include Infantry-trained personnel in other posts-for instance, those serving in higher headquarters, in Ministry of Defence Centre, in Defence Equipment and Support, or in other non-Regimental posts. The strength numbers will fluctuate up and down on a daily basis as, for example, personnel move from training into the battalions or as personnel complete their service and leave.
	The figures shown in the following tables contain similar variations to previous answers provided on this subject, and do not display any new or unexpected trends; the figures requested for the Infantry battalions are correct as of 1 October 2010:
	
		
			  Division  Unit  Establishment  Actual strength 
			 Guards 1 Grenadier Guards 575 627 
			  1 Coldstream Guards 569 529 
			  1 Scots Guards 639 568 
			  1 Irish Guards 576 602 
			  1 Welsh Guards 568 548 
			 
			 Scots 1 Scots 573 523 
			  2 Scots 566 516 
			  3 Scots 575 483 
			  4 Scots(1) 640 478 
			  5 Scots 591 556 
			 
			 Queens 1 Princess of Wales Royal Regiment 636 645 
			  2 Princess of Wales Royal Regiment 566 596 
			  1 Royal Regt Fusiliers 609 614 
			  2 Royal Regt Fusiliers 569 528 
			  1 Royal Anglian 609 622 
			  2 Royal Anglian 571 578 
			 
			 Kings 1 Lancs 609 603 
			  2 Lancs 555 606 
			  1 Yorks 571 532 
			  2 Yorks 566 492 
			  3 Yorks 637 547 
			 
			 Prince of Wales 1 Mercian 571 504 
			  2 Mercian 566 509 
			  3 Mercian 637 598 
			  1 Royal Welsh 565 520 
			  2 Royal Welsh 637 592 
			 
			 Rifles 1 Rifles 565 601 
			  2 Rifles 566 561 
			  3 Rifles 565 595 
			  4 Rifles 610 627 
			  5 Rifles 636 652 
			 
			 Royal Irish 1 Royal Irish 588 589 
			 
			 Para 2 Para 587 598 
			  3 Para 587 590 
			 (1) 4 Scots has been re-roled from Armoured Infantry Battalion to Light Role Infantry Battalion, requiring 72 fewer posts. Establishment liability is yet to be amended. 
		
	
	In addition to the battalions shown, there are three incremental Guards companies whose primary role is public duties but which can also be used to augment the other Guards battalions as required:
	
		
			  Unit  Peacetime Establishment  Actual Strength 
			 Nijmegen Coy Grenadier Gds 106 106 
			 7 Coy Coldstream Gds 106 99 
			 F Coy Scots Guards 106 106 
		
	
	It is not our policy to release corresponding data for 1(st) Battalion the Parachute Regiment.

Departmental Manpower

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of staff are employed in the ministerial correspondence section of his Department.

Andrew Robathan: There are eight permanent members of staff working in the Ministry Of Defence's Ministerial Correspondence Unit.

European Fighter Aircraft

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his most recent estimate is of the date on which the RAF Typhoon will take over responsibility for Quick Reaction Alert from the RAF Tornado.

Nick Harvey: Typhoon already undertakes Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) duties at RAF Coningsby and in the Falkland Islands. On current plans Typhoon will begin to take up QRA duties at RAF Leuchars, in conjunction with Tornado F3, during December 2010 and will take over complete responsibility in April 2011 when Tornado F3 retires from service.

Ex-servicemen: Higher Education

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of providing support for ex-service personnel to study at university over the period of the comprehensive spending review.

Andrew Robathan: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend the Minister for Universities and Science gave to the hon. Member for North Durham (Mr Jones) on 2 November 2010,  Official Report, column 687W.

Ex-servicemen: Radiation Exposure

Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much the Government spent on contesting the civil action by nuclear test veterans at the War Pensions Tribunal.

Andrew Robathan: To date the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has been notified of bills totalling some £150,000 (including VAT) for work associated with defending the civil action.
	This figure does not include the cost of any associated MOD staff effort.

Ex-servicemen: Radiation Exposure

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many veterans who were present at UK nuclear tests in 1957 and 1958 have successfully applied under the War Pension Scheme for  (a) a pension and  (b) other funds.

Andrew Robathan: This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The War Pensions Computer System, which has recorded various statistical data relating to claims and appeals since 1995, does not have the facility to uniquely identify people who participated in nuclear tests and who have claimed a war pension or gratuity.
	Compensation in the form of a War Pension is available to all former members of the armed forces who suffer disablement which is attributable to service prior to 6 April 2005 including nuclear test veterans. The causal link may be with any part of their service. There are currently some 180,000 war pensions in payment.

Football: World Cup 2010

Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on entertainment activities related to the 2010 FIFA World cup.

Andrew Robathan: We have identified no records of entertainment provided at public expense in relation to FIFA 2010 World cup activities. The provision of entertainment in support of sporting and other cultural activities is permitted only in exceptional circumstances where there is a clear defence benefit.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with Rolls-Royce on the likely effects on the level of employment of his decision to procure the non-short take-off and vertical landing variant of the joint strike fighter.

Peter Luff: holding answer 29 November 2010
	Our decision to procure the carrier variant (CV) of the joint strike fighter (JSF) was based on improved capability and reduced through life costs. I have not had any such discussions with Rolls-Royce regarding the likely effects on the level of employment following this decision. UK industry will benefit from producing CV specific elements and Rolls-Royce will continue to benefit from orders of JSF short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) variant from the US Marine Corps and other international partners. I also continue to engage with the US Administration on the benefits of an alternative engine-the F136 made by Rolls-Royce and General Electric-to the JSF programme as a whole.

Military Aircraft

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) Harrier and  (b) Tornado force elements his Department maintains at readiness.

Nick Harvey: I am withholding this information as its release would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability and effectiveness of the armed forces.

Military Bases

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  on how many occasions the right hon. Member for Doncaster North (Edward Miliband) has participated in a visit to a Ministry of Defence facility in each of the last five years;
	(2)  on how many occasions the right hon. Member for East Renfrewshire (Mr Murphy) has participated in a visit to a Ministry of Defence facility in each of the last five years.

Andrew Robathan: The number of visits undertaken by Members of Parliament to defence establishments is not recorded.

Nimrod Aircraft

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency on the effects on marine patrol aircraft capability of his decision not to bring the Nimrod MRA4 into service.

Peter Luff: The Maritime and Coastguard Agency is an Executive agency of the Department for Transport and strategic discussions would take place at departmental level. I can confirm that Ministry of Defence officials have been and continue to be in discussion with officials from the Department for Transport on this and related issues.

Public Expenditure

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much additional funding he plans to allocate to the 24 hour support telephone line for veterans as part of the comprehensive spending review settlement for his Department in  (a) 2010-11,  (b) 2011-12,  (c) 2012-13,  (d) 2013-14 and  (e) 2014-15.

Paul Burstow: I have been asked to reply.
	The Combat Stress veterans mental health helpline is currently being reconfigured to be a single national number with 24 hour access. This work is being undertaken by Combat Stress in partnership with the Department, and is one of the recommendations contained in the review "Fighting Fit" recently completed by my hon. Friend the Member for South West Wiltshire (Dr Murrison). A sum of £1.8 million per year has been granted to support implementation and evaluation of these initiatives during the spending review period. The cost of the 24 hour helpline, including linking it to other services in development, is yet to be determined.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Alternative Vote: Referendums

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether he plans to put in place arrangements to take account of circumstances in which a local government by-election takes place on the same day as elections to the Scottish Parliament and the proposed referendum on the alternative vote.

Mark Harper: Clause 4 of the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill ("PVSC Bill") provides that the referendum on the voting system will be combined with the following polls which are scheduled to take place on 5 May:
	Elections to the Welsh Assembly
	Elections to the Scottish Parliament
	Elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly
	Local elections in England
	Local elections in Northern Ireland
	Mayoral elections (in four local authorities in England (Bedford, Middlesbrough, Mansfield and Torbay))
	Parish elections in England
	In addition, we are aware that it is likely that there will be some local mayoral referendums in England on 5 May which will be run on the same boundaries as the referendum on the voting system and local elections. We have included provisions in the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill to allow for these polls to also be combined with the referendum.
	Any other unscheduled polls, for example a local government by-election in Scotland, can still take place on 5 May but would not be combined with any of the aforementioned polls. In effect, this would mean that separate polling stations would be required for the poll and that some other elements such as notices and forms would not be combined. Since such polls will be run on separate boundaries this will avoid practical difficulties for electoral administrators.

Interim Electoral Management Board for Scotland

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the merits of establishing the Interim Electoral Management Board for Scotland on a statutory basis.

Mark Harper: The Scottish Government introduced the Local Electoral Administration (Scotland) Bill in the Scottish Parliament on 7 October 2010. The Bill includes provisions to allow for the Electoral Management Board to be established in statute as an independent body, comprising representatives of Returning Officers and Electoral Registration Officers. Its convenor will have a statutory power of direction over Returning Officers who are in charge of Scottish local government elections about the exercise of their functions in relation to these elections, and over Electoral Registration Officers about the exercise of their functions in relation to a particular local government election.
	The Government introduced the Scotland Bill in Parliament on 30 November. The Bill includes provisions to devolve responsibility for the administration of the Scottish Parliament elections to the Scottish Government in accordance with the recommendations of the Calman Commission. It will be then for the Scottish Government to decide whether they wish to put the Interim Electoral Management Board on a statutory basis for those elections.
	For European parliamentary elections a Regional Returning Officer (RRO) is appointed. The RRO has a power of direction over the local Returning Officers in his or her region. There are no plans at this stage to bring forward legislation to put the Interim Management Board for Scotland on a statutory basis in respect of UK parliamentary or European elections. However, we will keep the position under review.

Returning Officers

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what arrangements his Department plans to put in place to co-ordinate the work of  (a) returning officers and  (b) chief returning officers for elections in (i) 2011 and (ii) subsequent years.

Mark Harper: Returning Officers are statutorily independent in the performance of their functions. The Electoral Commission has issued performance standards for Returning Officers and Electoral Registration Officers in Great Britain. In Northern Ireland, elections are delivered by the Chief Electoral Officer. In Scotland, the Interim Electoral Management Board provides co-ordination and planning for elections.
	Under the proposals in the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill, statutory elections which are scheduled to take place on 5 May 2011 will be combined with the referendum on the voting system.
	The Electoral Commission has established and chairs a Steering Group to co-ordinate and monitor the planning and delivery of the referendum on further powers for the National Assembly for Wales, the referendum on the voting system and the elections which are set to take place in the spring of 2011.
	The Steering Group includes the Chief Counting Officer for both referendums, and the 12 senior Returning Officers, including the Convenor of the Electoral Management Board in Scotland and the Chief Electoral Officer in Northern Ireland and, in the case of the March referendum in Wales, the Deputy Chief Counting Officer, who will be appointed as Regional Counting Officers for the referendum on the voting system. Officials from the Cabinet Office, the Scotland Office, Wales Office, and Northern Ireland Office, Welsh Assembly Government and representatives from the Association of Electoral Administrators are represented on the Steering Group.
	The Group has met every month since September 2010 and will continue to meet monthly until after the May 2011 elections and referendum. We will work with the Electoral Commission and members of the Steering Group to review and agree the co-ordination arrangements which need to be put in place for subsequent years.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Research

Ian Swales: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of expenditure from the public purse on biomedical research relating to myalgic encephalomyelitis in each of the last 10 years.

David Willetts: The Medical Research Council is one of the main agencies through which the Government support medical and clinical research. The MRC is an independent body which receives its grant in aid from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. The selection of projects for funding by MRC is determined through peer review.
	"Biomedical" is not a category the MRC would normally use to classify research in its portfolio. In the last 10 years, MRC expenditure on research relating to CFS/ME was as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2000/01 0 
			 2001/02 0 
			 2002/03 0 
			 2003/04 141,000 
			 2004/05 559,000 
			 2005/06 752,000 
			 2006/07 800,000 
			 2007/08 1.35 million 
			 2008/09 728,000 
			 2009/10 109,000 
		
	
	Projects included within these figures are as follows:
	Professor R K Morriss, university of Liverpool-Exploratory RCT of training general practitioners to manage patients with persistent medically unexplained symptoms (MUS).
	Professor P White, Queen Mary College, London-The PACE trial; A RCT of CBT, graded exercise, adaptive pacing and usual medical care for the chronic fatigue syndrome.
	Dr A Wearden, university of Manchester-Randomised controlled trial of nurse-led self-help treatment for primary care patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.
	Dr K Bhui, Queen Mary College, London-Chronic Fatigue and Ethnicity.
	Professor F H Creed, university of Manchester-The feasibility of a population-based study of CFS, IBS and CWP.
	Dr C Clark, Queen Mary College, London-General and specific risk markers and preventive factors for chronic fatigue and irritable bowel syndromes.
	Further information about most of these projects can be found on the MRC's online research portfolio at:
	http://www.mrc.ac.uk/ResearchPortfolio/index.htm

Higher Education: Vocational Guidance

Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department plans to take to improve careers advice for students  (a) choosing higher education courses and  (b) during higher education courses.

John Hayes: The Coalition Government are committed to improving the quality of careers advice for students making decisions about education and training. We will establish an all-age careers service in England from April 2012. Careers advisers in the service will have access to clear information about higher education courses and sources of funding. We are also working with the Careers Profession Alliance to ensure that careers advisers have the up to date knowledge and skills they need to advise on career prospects, including for STEM subjects-science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
	Schools will be under a legal duty to secure independent, impartial licensed careers guidance for their students, either from the all-age careers service or from the open market. Higher Education Institutions will continue to provide careers guidance for their students through in-house arrangements. But we will encourage use of the all-age service, and that its quality standards should be widely applied.
	Improving information for prospective students is also a key part of our future plans for higher education. The Higher Education Funding Council for England is consulting on proposals that higher education institutions should publish, from September 2012, a standard set of 16 key information items, for each course, on their websites. The information is based on what research shows that students want: information about costs, previous student satisfaction, employment outcomes and number of contact hours.

New Businesses: Advisory Services

David Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to improve access to advice for new businesses.

Mark Prisk: The Government are taking measures to modernise how support, information and advice is provided to businesses, as set out in the White Paper "Local Growth-realising every place's potential" which was published on 28 October. The new business improvement landscape will deliver a streamlined, more efficient system of providing information and guidance alongside the private sector, to people in both new and established businesses. It will include:
	An improved national website supported by a national contact centre, to provide information and advice.
	A highly connected network of 'growth hubs' designed to accelerate business growth.
	A national mentoring network to improve access to mentoring provision for both mentors and those looking for mentoring support, as announced on 15 November.
	A streamlined portfolio of business improvement products to focus Government funding on where it can best improve economic growth, to be launched by my Department by April 2011.
	In addition, my officials are working with the Department for Work and Pensions, which will be providing help locally to unemployed people who want to start a business through the new enterprise allowance which will enable people to retain an equivalent sum to the jobseeker's allowance for a period whilst they start up and also provide them with access to a mentor and small loan if they require capital to start.
	I also will be working towards removing any qualification barriers that prevent small firms from accessing Government contracts.

New Businesses: Bradford

David Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has for the future of his Department's provision of support for business start-ups in the Bradford area.

Mark Prisk: The Department is establishing Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) as set out in the White Paper "Local Growth-realising every place's potential". In Bradford this will be covered by a new LEP for the Leeds city region. This will involve local business and civic leaders working together to drive economic growth and create new jobs in their communities.
	The new LEP for the Leeds city region will be able to draw on the resources available at a national level which will deliver a streamlined, more efficient system of providing information and guidance alongside the private sector, to people in both new and established businesses. This will include:
	An improved national website supported by a national contact centre, to provide information and advice.
	A highly connected network of 'growth hubs' designed to accelerate business growth.
	A national mentoring network to improve access to mentoring provision for both mentors and those looking for mentoring support, as announced on 15 November.
	A streamlined portfolio of business improvement products to focus Government funding on where it can best improve economic growth, to be launched by my Department by April 2011.
	In addition, my officials are working with the Department for Work who will be providing help locally to unemployed people who want to start a business through the new enterprise allowance which will enable people to retain an equivalent sum to the jobseeker's allowance for a period while they start up and also provide them with access to a mentor and small loan if they require capital to start.

Regional Development Agencies: Assets

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the monetary value of the Regional Development Agency assets he expects to be managed by (a) his Department and  (b) the Department of Communities and Local Government under the proposals in paragraph 2.44 of the Local Growth White Paper.

Mark Prisk: This Department and the Department for Communities and Local Government are working closely together to finalise the arrangements for the management of RDA assets and liabilities between the two Departments. The monetary value of the assets managed by each Department cannot be assessed until this division of assets and liabilities has been completed.

Royal Mail

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with the Communication Workers Union on the future of Royal Mail.

Edward Davey: BIS Ministers and officials have held several meetings with representatives of the CWU to discuss the Government's policy on Royal Mail and the provisions in the Postal Services Bill. The meetings were as follows:
	
		
			  Date  
			 7 June Meeting with Secretary of State 
			 3 August Meeting with Edward Davey 
			 31 August Meeting with officials 
			 9 September Meeting with Edward Davey 
			 20 September Stakeholder Briefing Session 
			 3 November Stakeholder Briefing Session 
			 8 November Meeting with officials 
			 29 November Meeting with officials 
		
	
	A further meeting between the CWU and myself has been arranged for 16 December 2010.

SG First Minister

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 17 November 2010,  Official Report, column 888W, on the Scottish Government First Minister, how many  (a) civil servants,  (b) special advisers and  (c) press officers accompanied him to the meeting on 1 June 2010; which (i) Ministers in the Scottish Government, (ii) other Members of the Scottish Parliament, (iii) Scottish Government officials and (iv) political advisers attended the meeting; and what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the meeting attributable to his Department.

Edward Davey: Other attendees were Tavish Scott MSP, along with a senior economist from the Office of the Chief Economic Adviser to the Scottish Government, and the Secretary of State and Scottish Government First Minister's private secretaries. It is not possible to isolate the costs of this meeting from the rest of the visit.

Student Loans Company: Correspondence

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when the hon. Member for Walsall North will receive a response to his faxed letter of 9 November 2010 to the chief executive of the Student Loans Company regarding a constituent; and for what reasons no acknowledgement was sent.

Edward Davey: The hon. Gentleman's office was contacted 30 November 2010. They have been advised that the customer was contacted last week with a resolution to her complaint. A response to the MP's letter has been prepared and was issued on 30 November 2010 by Ed Lester.
	Since 22 November 2010 all chief executive correspondence parliamentary or otherwise, is acknowledged on the date of receipt. The letter from David Winnick's office was received prior to this change in process.

Students: Fees and Charges

Bob Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he plans to take steps following the implementation of the proposed increase in tuition fees to ensure that students have sufficient access to debt management advice after graduation.

David Willetts: Repayment of student loans is income contingent, and graduates will not need to make any repayments until their income is above £21,000. If their loan is not repaid after 30 years, the remaining balance will be written off.
	While studying, students have access to the National Association of Student Money Advisers (NASMA) whose aim is to ensure that students have access to accurate and current information about how to manage their finances and avoid unnecessary debt. We have no plans to introduce specific debt management advice for graduates.

Sunday Trading

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will assess the possible effects on  (a) parental involvement in children's education and  (b) parent-child contact time of easing or removing restrictions on Sunday trading; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Davey: The Government have no plans to change Sunday trading laws and have no plans to conduct research of the type suggested.

Sunday Trading

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with  (a) faith groups,  (b) business leaders and  (c) others on Sunday trading; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Davey: I have had no discussions with either faith groups or business leaders on Sunday trading hours.
	This Department has received a small amount of correspondence on this issue since the Election, both for and against relaxation of the law.

Teachers: Training

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with representatives of teacher training colleges on specialist training of teachers in online teaching strategies.

Nick Gibb: I have been asked to reply.
	I have had no such discussions, but I am aware that the Online Learning Task Force established by HEFCE is due to make recommendations soon about the development of excellence in online education. On receipt of these I will be able to consider what implications there might be for teacher training.

HEALTH

Ambulance Services: East Midlands

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many East Midlands Ambulance Service emergency journeys were made to  (a) Doncaster Royal Infirmary and  (b) hospitals in Sheffield in each of the last five years.

Paul Burstow: The information requested is not held centrally. This information may be available directly from East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust.

Atos Healthcare

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 8 November 2010,  Official Report, column 170W, on Atos Healthcare, what the reasons are for the difference between the figure recorded as paid to Atos in 2009-10 provided in the answer and that provided to Kable in response to a request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Paul Burstow: Atos Origin is a large international company with several different business arms. The figures recorded in the answer of 8 November 2010,  Official Report, column 170W, relate to payments since 1 July 2008, for the provision to the Department by Atos Healthcare, a separate trading arm of Atos Origin, of occupational health services. The figures contained in the freedom of information reply relate to payments made between 1 April 2009 and 31 March 2010 to Atos Consulting Ltd and Atos Origin IT Services UK Ltd for work on behalf of NHS Connecting for Health, a part of the Department's informatics directorate.

Bassetlaw Hospital: Post-mortems

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many post mortems were carried out at Bassetlaw hospital in each of the last five years.

Anne Milton: This information is not collected centrally. This information may be available directly from Doncaster and Bassetlaw NHS Foundation Trust.

Blood: Donors

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to ensure that the supply of donated blood is free from pathogens; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  whether his Department plans to develop a strategy to reduce risk posed by known and unknown pathogens to the security of the UK blood supply.

Anne Milton: The UK blood services must comply with the Blood Safety and Quality Regulation (2005), as amended. The principal measure to protect patients against transfusion-transmitted infections is the careful selection of blood donors, supplemented by specific testing for transfusion-transmitted infections.
	There are well established systems in place within the UK blood services to identify, assess and respond to threats to the UK blood supply posed by known and emerging pathogens that may be transmitted by transfusion. The independent expert Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs (SaBTO) and the National Expert Panel on New and Emerging Infections (NEPNEI) also monitor developments nationally and internationally, and provide advice to the Department and to the blood services.
	A number of safety measures are in place to reduce the risk of transmission of Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) as there is no specific test available for screening of donors. These include lifetime deferral from donation by people who have been advised they may be at increased risk from vCJD and by those previously transfused; leucodepletion of all donated blood; the use of non-UK plasma for production of plasma products such as clotting factors; and importation of fresh frozen plasma for treatment of children under 16.

Clostridium: Death

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) deaths from and  (b) cases of (i) clostridium difficile and (ii) MRSA there have been in each region in each of the last three years.

Nick Hurd: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated November 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many (a) deaths from and (b) cases of (i)  Clostridium difficile and (ii) MRSA there have been in each region in each of the last three years. (26595)
	Table 1 attached provides (a) the number of deaths where (i)  Clostridium difficile ( C. difficile) and (ii) methicillin-resistant  Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was mentioned anywhere on the death certificate, either as the underlying cause or as a contributory factor, in each government office region in England, for the years 2007 to 2009 (the latest year available).
	It should be noted that these figures include all deaths where  C. difficile or MRSA was mentioned on the death certificate, either as an underlying cause or contributory factor. Those who die with  C. difficile or MRSA are usually patients who are already very ill, and it is their existing illness which is often designated as the underlying cause of death.
	The number of deaths involving MRSA and  C. difficile registered in England and Wales each year by sex and age are published annually on the National Statistics website:
	MRSA:
	www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=13571
	 C. difficile
	www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product.asp?vlnk=14782
	Figures for  C. difficile and MRSA infections are published by the Health Protection Agency (HPA). Table 2 attached provides (b) the number of (i)  C. difficile infections in people aged 2 years and over and (ii) MRSA bloodstream infections in acute NHS trusts by government office region in England for the last three financial years 2007/08 to 2009/10 (the latest year available).
	The HPA publishes regular reports about antimicrobial surveillance, healthcare associated infections and their consequences for human health in the UK, these are available on the HPA website:
	www.hpa.org.uk/Publications/InfectiousDiseases/AntimicrobialAndHealthcareAssociatedInfections/
	
		
			  Table 1. Number of deaths where methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)( 1)  and Clostridium difficile (C. difficile)( 2)  was mentioned on the death certificate, government office regions in England , 2007- 09( 3)( ,)( 4) 
			  Deaths (persons) 
			   MRSA  C. difficile 
			  Government office region  2007  2008  2009  2007  2008  2009 
			 North East 85 88 53 328 347 311 
			 North West 199 171 99 1,010 980 733 
			 Yorkshire and The Humber 130 105 68 510 486 298 
			 East Midlands 116 98 65 823 502 339 
			 West Midlands 202 147 69 1,255 771 440 
			 East of England 192 105 68 1,035 465 330 
			 London 174 133 98 1,001 534 289 
			 South East 224 167 118 1,080 750 481 
			 South West 195 123 80 874 630 329 
			 (1) Identified using the methodology described in Office for National Statistics: Statistical Bulletin: Deaths involving MRSA: England and Wales, 2009. Available at: www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/mrsa0810.pdf (2) Identified using the methodology described in Office for National Statistics: Statistical Bulletin: Deaths involving  Clostridium difficile: England and Wales, 2009. Available at: www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/cdif0810.pdf (3) Based on boundaries as of 2010. (4) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2. Number of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)( 1)  bloodstream infections and Clostridium difficile (C. difficile)( 2)  infections in acute NHS trusts by government office region in England, 2007-09( 3,4) 
			  Infections 
			   MRSA  C .  difficile 
			  Government office region  2007  2008  2009  2007  2008  2009 
			 North East 302 188 84 3,379 2,706 1,873 
			 North West 670 419 303 9,574 6,722 4,909 
			 Yorkshire and The Humber 519 356 226 5,156 4,091 2,463 
			 East Midlands 254 187 138 3,691 2,475 1,957 
			 West Midlands 511 307 161 7,071 4,088 3,065 
			 East of England 333 213 146 5,573 2,818 2,265 
			 London 823 579 409 7,270 4,326 3,011 
			 South East 586 395 257 7,616 5,003 3,538 
			 South West 453 291 174 6,168 3,866 2,523 
			 (1 )Figures for the number of infections are provided by the Health Protection Agency (HPA). Infections are identified using the methodology described in the HPA report: Healthcare-Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance: 2009/10. Available at: www.hpa.org.uk/web/HPAwebFile/HPAweb_C/1281954479045 (2) The number of  Clostridium difficile infections is given for people aged two years and over. (3) Based on HPA regions which are equivalent to Government office regions. (4) Figures are for infections in each financial year.

General Practitioners

Penny Mordaunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he proposes to place an obligation on the proposed GP consortiums to deliver an integrated continence service.

Paul Burstow: The White Paper "Liberating the NHS" set out our proposals to devolve power and responsibility for commissioning services to local consortiums of general practitioner (GP) practices.
	GP consortiums will have responsibilities for commissioning a comprehensive range of services that meets the needs of their local populations.
	We propose that GP consortia will be responsible for commissioning the great majority of national health service services. We will expect consortiums to involve relevant health and social care professionals from all sectors in helping design care pathways or care packages that achieve more integrated delivery of care, higher quality, and more efficient use of NHS resources. This will create an effective dialogue across all health, and where appropriate, social care, professionals.

Influenza: Young People

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the effect on young children of influenza vaccinations.

Anne Milton: The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) reviews all relevant evidence on seasonal influenza vaccines, and all other vaccines used in the United Kingdom, in order to ensure its advice is based on current scientific and medical evidence. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) monitors reports on the safety of all medicines, including vaccines, through its Yellow Card Reporting system.
	The Health Protection Agency is conducting a comprehensive assessment of the impact, effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the UK's influenza vaccination programme and possible extensions to it, including the routine vaccination of all children. This assessment was requested in February 2010 by the JCVI and the Department. The study is expected to complete during 2011 and will then be considered by JCVI.
	The Department commissioned a Health Technology Assessment in August 2009 to compare the immunogenicity of the two H1N1 swine influenza vaccines, and any local or systemic symptoms after vaccination, in children aged six months to 12 years. Early data from this study informed JCVI advice on the H1N1 swine influenza vaccination programme. The study was conducted through the National Institute for Health Research Evaluation Trials and Studies Coordinating Centre (NETSCC) and the report has been published at:
	www.netscc.ac.uk/supporting_research/flu_project_portfolio/099401.asp
	The report has been placed in the Library.
	In the current seasonal influenza vaccination programme, vaccination is recommended for children aged six months and older with certain medical conditions that put them at increased risk of complications from influenza.

Marijuana

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the effects of marijuana on the body's immune functions.

Anne Milton: The National Addiction Centre at King's College London produced, on behalf of the Department, 'Dangerousness of Drugs' (2003) which looked at the health harms of drugs and concluded that the effect of cannabis on the immune system was not known. The National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse is in the process of commissioning an update of this document.
	The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs looked at the evidence of harms caused by cannabis use in a number of reports since 2002. These have not identified effects on the immune system.

Maternity Services

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on the implementation of  (a) Maternity Matters,  (b) the National Service Framework for Children, Young People and Maternity Services,  (c) the recommendations of the Prime Minister's Commission on the Future of Nursing and Midwifery and  (d) Midwifery 2020.

Anne Milton: "Maternity Matters, Choice, access and continuity of care in a safe service-and the National Service Framework (NSF) for children, young people and maternity services" set out the previous Administration's commitment to improve heath services for women and their children. We set out our long-term vision for the future of the national health service in the White Paper, "Equity and excellence: Liberating the NHS". By focusing on health outcomes and developing provider maternity networks, bringing together all the maternity services a mother may need, we will deliver high quality maternity services where women are able to make safe, informed choices a reality throughout pregnancy, birth and postnatally. "Maternity Matters" and the "NSF" have helped the NHS to lay the foundations for some of this work.
	In October, we published a consultation document, "Liberating the NHS: Greater choice and control. A consultation on proposals", seeking views on a range of choice issues, including which maternity choices users would like to see in place and which of these are most important. The consultation closes on 14 January 2011 and we encourage anyone with an interest in maternity services to respond.
	Ministers and policy officials are considering the recommendations of "Front Line Care: Report by the Prime Minister's Commission on the Future of Nursing and Midwifery in England" which was published in March 2010 in the light of the new Government's plans. A response will be issued in due course.
	Ministers welcomed the vision of midwifery services and key messages laid out in the final report of the Midwifery 2020 programme "Midwifery 2020: Delivering expectations" published in September 2010. Decisions about implementation of Midwifery 2020 are a matter for local decision-makers.

Mental Health Services

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what mechanisms are in place to ensure that secure private mental health hospitals treating NHS patients refer or discharge patients as soon as they are ready to be moved to a different institution or discharged; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what mechanisms are in place to ensure that mental health patients in NHS hospitals are discharged back into the community as soon as they are ready; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what the Government's policy is on discharging mental health patients from high security institutions; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Burstow: It is for clinicians to decide whether in-patients are fit to be discharged from hospital. It is for commissioners of the national health service, whether provided by NHS or independent providers, to put in place arrangements to ensure that patients with mental health problems do not remain in a hospital longer than is appropriate.
	Patients should be treated in conditions of security appropriate to the particular circumstances of their case. If they no longer require treatment in conditions of a particular level of security, their treatment should be moved to a more appropriate location as soon as the arrangements necessary for their continued treatment can be made.

National Nomenclature Review Panel

Gordon Birtwistle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health who established the National Nomenclature Review Panel; when it was established; who the  (a) members are and  (b) chair is of that panel; what timetable has been set for the outcomes of the work of that panel; to whom that panel will report; and whether its report will be published.

Anne Milton: There is no National Nomenclature Review Panel. Some work is being carried out by NHS North West and NHS South West to create a common offer to ease navigation of the urgent and emergency care system for patients. The objective is to identify an evidence-based classification for safe levels of urgent and emergency care. The analysis is clinically guided by Sir John Oldham and Professor Matthew Cooke, National Clinical Director for Urgent and Emergency Care. This work is not about standardising the services offered locally; rather it is to standardise the definitions of these services to help commissioners and create clarity for patients.

NHS Walk-in Centres: Closures

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS walk-in centres closed in  (a) Manchester,  (b) Salford,  (c) Greater Manchester,  (d) the North West and  (e) England in the last six months.

Paul Burstow: Decisions about the provision of walk-in services in primary care are an individual decision local primary care trusts (PCTs) and routine information on the provision of such services in the national health service is not monitored by the Department. However, we are aware of only one general practitioner-led walk in centre that has been decommissioned recently, in Stockport, although we are aware that a number of other PCTs may be carrying out service reviews that could result in service reconfigurations.

NHS: Redundancy Pay

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the largest single severance package agreed by hospital trusts in Leicester was in the last five years; and on what grounds it was agreed.

Anne Milton: The Department started collecting severance payment information during the 2008-09 financial year so cannot go back five years. The largest single severance package agreed by hospital trusts in Leicester since then was in 2009 for £25,000 at the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust. It was agreed on grounds of good value for money.

Prescription Drugs: Imports

Robin Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which bodies are responsible for enforcing legal requirements in respect of the importation of prescription drugs; and whether he plans to review legislation in this area.

Anne Milton: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) an executive agency of the Department, regulates medicines for human use in the United Kingdom through the Medicines Act 1968 and other supporting regulations.
	Offences under medicines legislation are criminal. The MHRA has powers to take action against manufacturers, which includes the activity of import from a third country (non European economic area member state) and distributors that fail to meet the provisions of medicines legislation and appropriate standards. The MHRA will take regulatory action where breaches are identified. This may take the form of revoking licences or the instigation of criminal proceedings and bring a criminal prosecution if and when necessary.
	The MHRA completed its last review of the licensing arrangements for pharmaceutical manufacturers and wholesale distributors of medicines for human use in October 2005.
	A further review of the supply chain of medicines of human use in the UK is currently being conducted. This further review will take account of the outcome of the European Commission's own proposal for preventing counterfeit medicines entering the supply chain.
	If the prescription medicine for importation is also a controlled drug, importers also require a licence from the Home Office, under misuse of drugs legislation.

Southern Cross Healthcare

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with Southern Cross Healthcare on continuing provision for residents of that company's care homes.

Paul Burstow: The responsibility for providing or arranging publicly supported residential accommodation under section 21 of the National Assistance Act 1948 rests with councils with adult social services (CASSRs), not the Department.
	Any discussions regarding continuing provision for residents of care homes should take place between care providers and CASSRs.

Wheelchairs

Caroline Nokes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the adequacy of availability of electric wheelchairs to disabled people.

Paul Burstow: The provision of wheelchair services is currently the responsibility of primary care trusts. They allocate wheelchairs to individuals, including electric wheelchairs, on the basis of locally developed eligibility criteria which consider individuals' needs and local resources.
	We recognise that current wheelchair provision is not as good as it could be. That is why the Department is currently exploring how to improve the commissioning approach so that it facilitates the provision of efficient, comprehensive and responsive wheelchair and seating services focussed on the health, social and lifestyle needs of the service user.
	The work is being developed in partnership with the national health service, third sector organisations, service users and other key stakeholders. Two pilot sites in the South West and East of England are currently gathering information and views on the best commissioning model for wheelchair services and exploring opportunities for improved procurement and delivery in the services.

Timber

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the compliance of  (a) his Department,  (b) its agencies and  (c) its non-departmental public bodies with the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation's criteria for sourcing sustainable timber.

Paul Burstow: Neither the Department, its agencies nor its non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) have made a specific assessment of compliance with the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation's criteria for sourcing sustainable timber.
	However, the Department and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency have conducted assessments of compliance with the Government's timber procurement policy and no instances of non-compliance were identified. The Department has not assessed the compliance of its NDPBs with this policy.

Wycombe Hospital

Steven Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of the running costs of Wycombe hospital was paid to the private finance initiative (PFI) provider in each year from 2000 to 2009; and what estimate he has made of the proportion of running costs that will be paid to the PFI provider in  (a) 2010 and  (b) 2011.

Paul Burstow: Information is not available in the format requested. Information is collected by trust, not by individual hospital. Wycombe hospital is part of Buckinghamshire Healthcare National Health Service Trust, which has two private finance initiative (PFI) schemes: one covering the rationalisation of acute services at Wycombe hospital and Amersham hospital that opened in October 2000, and one covering the partial redevelopment of Stoke Mandeville hospital that opened in April 2006.
	Data for the proportion of total operating expenses by Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust in respect of its PFI schemes are set out in the following table.
	Data are not held centrally for 2010-11 or 2011-12.
	
		
			  Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust-proportion of total operating expenses relating to PFI 
			   Percentage of total operating expenses relating to PFI 
			 2003-04 2.7 
			 2004-05 2.5 
			 2005-06 3.8 
			 2006-07 6.5 
			 2007-08 7.6 
			 2008-09 7.8 
			 2009-10 7.1 
			  Notes: 1. The Department of Health holds accounting data at organisation level for only seven years, and therefore data prior to 2003-04 is not available. 2. The figures provided represent the net operating expenses in respect of PFI schemes as a proportion of total operating expenses. 3. 2003-04 to 2008-09 figures were compiled under UK Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (UK GAAP). Under UK GAAP, Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust had two separate PFI schemes, one of which was off-balance sheet (Stoke Mandeville), and one of which was on-balance sheet (Wycombe and Amersham). For 2003-04 to 2008-09 the figures are prepared under UK GAAP and the finance costs (interest) associated with the PR schemes are not separately identifiable. In order that the numerator and denominator are consistent, we have taken net operating expenses relating to PFI schemes (which excludes finance costs) as a percentage of total operating expenses (which also excludes finance costs). 4. 2009-10 accounts were compiled under International Finance Reporting Standards, under which PFI costs in the audited summarisation schedules of Trusts are split between capital repayments and revenue expenditure elements, which does not make a precise like for like comparison with earlier years in this table possible. However, an estimate of the PFI unitary payment for 2009-10 is held centrally by the Department as well as the audited outturn revenue expenditure figure for the Trust for this year. The percentage figure for this year is calculated using these two figures.  Source: Trust audited summarisation schedules, 2003-04 to 2009-10

CABINET OFFICE

BBC

John McDonnell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 22 November 2010,  Official Report, column 138W, on the BBC, whether  (a) he,  (b) civil servants and  (c) Cabinet Office special advisers have had meetings with the director-general of the BBC since 1 August 2010.

Francis Maude: Details of Cabinet Office Ministers' meetings with external organisations are published on a quarterly basis. Information for the period 13 May to 31 July can be accessed on the Cabinet Office website at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/about-cabinet-office/plans-performance/ministers-data.aspx
	Information for 1 August to 30 September will be published shortly.
	No Cabinet Office special advisers have had meetings with the director-general of the BBC.
	Records of civil servants' meetings are not held centrally.

Charities: Student Unions

Conor Burns: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  whether any student unions were not registered as charities in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(2)  which students' unions are registered as charities.

Nick Hurd: This is a matter for the Charity Commission. I have, therefore, asked the chief executive of the Commission to reply.
	 Letter from Sam Young, dated 30 November 2010:
	As the Chief Executive of the Charity Commission, I have been asked to respond to your written Parliamentary Questions on whether any students' unions were not registered as charities in the latest period for which figures are available, and which students' unions are registered as charities.
	As you may know, the Charities Act 2006 aimed to ensure that all organisations with charitable status are subject to the same accountability requirements. This entails some changes to the way that "exempt charities" will be regulated. Exempt charities for which no suitable principal regulator can be identified will lose their exempt status and become excepted. This means they will fall fully within the supervision of the Charity Commission, but initially only those charities with an annual income of over £100,000 will have to register. Students' unions which are capable of being charitable fall within this category.
	This part of the Charities Act 2006 came into force on 1 June 2010. There is a large volume of work involved for all concerned and we recognise that it is not practical for all the charities affected to register immediately. We have worked with the National Union of Students to produce a model governing document for students' unions, which helps to simplify and streamline the registration process.
	In answer to your first question on whether any students' unions were not registered as charities in the latest period for which figures are available, I should be clear that we have not refused any applications for charitable registrations from students' unions. However there will be some unions which are not required to register with us, and others which are not yet ready to apply.
	In answer to your second question on which students' unions are registered as charities, since 1 June 2010 we have registered 24 students' unions, as follows:
	Students' union of Bath Spa University
	Students' union of Brighton University
	Students' union of Cambridge University
	Students' union of Cardiff University
	Students' union of De Montfort University
	Students' union of Exeter University
	Students' union of Huddersfield University
	Students' union of University of Kent
	Students' union of University of Keele
	Students' union of King's College London
	Students' union of Lancaster University
	Students' union of Leeds University
	Students' union of Leicester University
	Students' union of Lincoln University
	Students' union of Liverpool Guild of Students
	Students' union of Newcastle University
	Students' union of Northumbria, University of
	Students' union of University of Nottingham
	Students' union of University of Portsmouth
	Students' union of Salford University
	Students' union of University of Teesside
	Students' union of Warwick University
	Students' union of Wolverhampton University
	Students' union of York St John University
	As of today's date, we have also received applications from 11 further unions, as follows, which we are currently assessing and processing:
	Students' union of Coventry University
	Students' union of Hull University
	Students' union of Leeds Met University
	Students' union of Liverpool University
	Students' union of Middlesex University
	Students' union of Oxford University
	Students' union of Roehampton University
	Students' union of University of Essex
	Students' union of University of Bristol
	Students' union of Trinity St. Davids Co
	Students' union of University of West London
	We are anticipating no more than 120 registration applications from students' unions. We are satisfied that good progress is being made in implementing this part of the Charities Act 2006.
	I hope this is helpful.

Electronic Government

Tony Baldry: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the average cost per transaction of transacting public registration services  (a) manually and  (b) online.

Francis Maude: Although we do not hold average figures for Government, research by PricewaterhouseCoopers-commissioned by Martha Lane Fox, UK Digital Champion and published in the Economic Case for Digital Inclusion in October 2009-suggests average costs per transaction of £10.53 for face-to-face, £3.39 for telephone, £12.10 for post and £0.08p online.

Employment

Mary Glindon: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of the working population of  (a) North Tyneside,  (b) the North East,  (c) England,  (d) London and  (e) the South East is employed in the (i) public and (ii) private sector.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated November 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what proportion of the working population of (a) North Tyneside, (b) the North East, (c) England, (d) London and (e) the South East is employed in the (i) public and (ii) private sector (027634).
	The Office for National Statistics' (ONS) preferred source of statistics for public sector employment is the Quarterly Public Sector Employment Survey (QPSES) and external sources, however, figures from this source are not available for local authority and parliamentary constituencies.
	Alternatively public sector employment statistics for local areas can be calculated from the Annual Population Survey (APS). Individuals in the APS are classified to the public or private sector according to their responses to the survey. Consequently, the classification of an individual's sector may differ from how they would be classified in QPSES statistics. Therefore the estimates for the North East, England, London and the South East are not consistent with those published in the Public Sector Employment Statistical Bulletin, but are consistent with the estimates for North Tyneside.
	Table 1 shows the levels and proportions of the resident population employed in the private and public sector in (a) North Tyneside, (b) the North East, (c) England, (d) London and (e) the South East. Data has been provided for the most recent APS period, April 2009 to March 2010.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
	
		
			  Table 1: Levels and proportions of the resident population of England, North East, North Tyneside local authority, North Tyneside parliamentary constituency, London and the South East employed in (i) public and (ii) private sector 
			   April 2009 to March 2010 
			   Level (thousand)  Proportion (percentage) 
			   Public  Private  Public  Private 
			 England *5,832 *18,206 24 76 
			 North East *331 *782 30 70 
			 North Tyneside LA **29 **64 32 68 
			 North Tyneside PC ***14 **30 33 67 
			 London *829 *2,854 23 77 
			 South East *715 *584 22 78 
			  Note: Coefficients of Variation have been calculated for the latest period as an indication of the quality of the estimates. See Guide to Quality.  Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV-for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5% we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220.  Key: * 0 ≤ CV<5%-Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered precise ** 5 ≤ CV <10%-Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered reasonably precise *** 10 ≤ CV <20%-Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered acceptable **** CV ≥ 20%-Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes CV = Coefficient of Variation  Source: Annual Population Survey

Employment: Scotland

Margaret Curran: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people were employed in the  (a) public and  (b) private sector in  (a) Scotland,  (b) Glasgow and  (c) Glasgow East constituency in each of the last five years.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated November 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many people were employed in the (a) public and (b) private sector in (a) Scotland, (b) Glasgow and (c) Glasgow East constituency in each of the last five years. (027771)
	Public sector employment statistics for local areas can be calculated from the Annual Population Survey (APS). Individuals in the APS are classified to the public or private sector according to their responses to the survey. As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	Table 1 shows the levels and proportions of the resident population employed in the private and public sector in (a) Scotland, (b) Glasgow City Local Authority and (c) Glasgow East Parliamentary Constituency. Data has been provided for the April to March 2010, the latest period for which data is available, and April to March of the previous four years.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
	
		
			  Table 1: Levels and proportions of the resident population of Scotland, Glasgow City Local Authority and Glasgow East Parliamentary Constituency employed in public and private sector 
			   Scotland  Glasgow City LA  Glasgow East PC 
			   Level (thousand)  Proportion (percentage)  Level (thousand)  Proportion (percentage)  Level (thousand)  Proportion (percentage) 
			  12 months ending  Private  Public  Private  Public  Private  Public  Private  Public  Private  Public  Private  Public 
			 March 2006 1,728 712 70 29 174 73 70 30 28 11 72 28 
			 March 2007 1,773 717 71 29 173 81 68 32 27 10 72 28 
			 March 2008 1,807 708 72 28 195 72 73 27 21 7 75 25 
			 March 2009 1,793 718 71 29 184 78 70 30 24 8 76 24 
			 March 2010 *1,741 *711 71 29 *178 **75 70 30 ***19 ****5 78 22 
			  Note: Coefficients of Variation have been calculated for the latest period as an indication of the quality of the estimates, as described below:  Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV-for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5% we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220.  Key: * 0 ≤ CV<5%-Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered precise ** 5 ≤ CV <10%-Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered reasonably precise *** 10 ≤ CV <20%-Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered acceptable **** CV ≥ 20%-Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes CV = Coefficient of Variation  Source:  Annual Population Survey.

EU Law

Priti Patel: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many EU directives are pending transposition into domestic legislation by his Department; and what estimate he has made of the cost of each such transposition.

Nick Hurd: The Department does not have any EU directives pending transposition into domestic legislation.

Football: World Cup 2010

Graham Evans: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much his Department spent on entertainment activities related to the 2010 FIFA World Cup in respect of  (a) the Prime Minister's Office and  (b) the Deputy Prime Minister's Office.

Nick Hurd: Neither the Prime Minister's Office nor the Deputy Prime Minister's Office spent any money on entertainment related to the activities of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Population: Newham

Lyn Brown: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what his most recent estimate is of the population of the London borough of Newham; and what methodology his Department used to make that estimate.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what the most recent estimate is of the population of the London Borough of Newham; and what methods are used to make that estimate (27630).
	The ONS produces annual estimates of the resident population of England and Wales by local authority, as at 30 June each year. The latest available estimate of the resident population of the London Borough of Newham is for mid-2009 and is 241,200 people.
	The resident population is defined by the standard United Nations definition for population estimates, and includes people who reside in an area for a period of at least 12 months whatever their nationality. The number of long-term international migrants (people who move into or out of the UK for at least 12 months) is estimated and included in the resident population. Visitors and short-term migrants (people who enter or leave the UK for less than 12 months) are not included as part of the resident population.
	ONS Mid-Year Population Estimates are calculated using the cohort component method, which is an internationally recognised demographic method. The method takes the previous year's population estimate, ages the population by one year, adds in the number of births and takes away the number of deaths that have taken place during the year. The method also incorporates estimates of both international migration (moves to and from the UK for a period of at least one year) and internal moves within the UK.
	A copy of the annotated flow-chart "Mid-year Population Estimates: England & Wales" providing a detailed summary of the cohort component method as used by ONS, is available in the House of Commons Library.
	The local authority mid-year population estimates are published on the ONS website along with details of each of the estimated components of population change.
	ONS is leading the cross-government Migration Statistics Improvement Programme which is developing improved methods for population estimation. Initial methodological improvements were incorporated in the population statistics that were published in May 2010. These represent a real improvement in the quality of the migration and population estimates. They are the result of extensive research by ONS and a large scale engagement programme with users.

Public Sector: Procurement

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the average monetary value was of a Government contract awarded to a  (a) small enterprise and  (b) medium-sized enterprise in 2009-10.

Francis Maude: This information is not held centrally. Under Government transparency commitments all Departments will be required to publish their contracts from January 2011. As part of this measure they will be required to state whether the contract has been awarded to an SME.

EDUCATION

Academies

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether selective grammar schools in the state sector which become academies may retain their current selective admissions criteria.

Nick Gibb: The Academies Act 2010 allows existing maintained grammar schools and partially selective schools to become academies and retain their selective arrangements. However, it specifically requires that all other academies admit pupils of all abilities. Academies which were not selective as maintained schools cannot, therefore, introduce selection by ability.

Academies: Finance

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much funding has been allocated  (a) for provision to schools of academy conversion expenses grants and  (b) for other expenses incurred as a result of schools transferring to academies.

Nick Gibb: We recognise that schools converting to academies may incur costs, such as obtaining legal advice on the documents necessary for setting up an academy and advice on the process for transferring staff and other costs. As a contribution to these costs, a grant of £25,000 will be made.

Adoption

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children have been put up for adoption following contested court hearings in each of the last five years.

Tim Loughton: Information on the number of children adopted during the years ending 31 March 2007 to 2010 where parental consent had been dispensed with, is shown in the table.
	Information was not collected prior to the year ending 31 March 2007.
	
		
			  Children who ceased to be looked-after during the years ending 31 March by gender, age on ceasing, reason episode ceased, category of need and ethnic origin ( 1, 2, 3, 4) , years ending 31 March 2006 to 2010, England 
			  Number/percentage 
			   Number  Percentage 
			   2006  2007  2008  2009  2010  2006  2007  2008  2009  2010 
			  All looked-after children who ceased to be looked-after 25,900 25,000 24,500 25,000 25,100 100 100 100 100 100 
			 Gender 25,900 25,000 24,500 25,000 25,100 100 100 100 100 100 
			 Male 14,000 13,600 13,100 13,700 13,700 54 54 54 55 55 
			 Female 11,900 11,400 11,300 11,300 11,400 46 46 46 45 45 
			
			  Age on ceasing (years) 25,900 25,000 24,500 25,000 25,100 100 100 100 100 100 
			 Under 1 1,400 1,300 1,300 1,300 1,300 5 5 5 5 5 
			 1 to 4 5,500 5,400 5,500 5,900 5,900 21 21 23 24 23 
			 5 to 9 3,800 3,600 3,200 3,300 3,400 15 14 13 13 14 
			 10 to 15 6,900 6,500 5,900 5,600 5,400 27 26 24 23 22 
			 16 and over 8,200 8,200 8,500 8,800 9,100 32 33 35 35 36 
			
			  Reason episode ceased 25,900 25,000 24,500 25,000 25,100 100 100 100 100 100 
			 Adopted-application unopposed(5) (10)3,700 1,700 1,700 1,800 1,700 (10)14 7 7 7 7 
			 Adopted-consent dispensed with(5) (10)- 1,600 1,500 1,500 1,500 (10)- 6 6 6 6 
			 Died 60 70 50 50 50 - - - - - 
			 Care taken by another LA 240 240 190 170 170 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Returned home to live with parents or relatives 11,000 10,200 9,500 9,500 9,800 42 41 39 38 39 
			 Residence order granted 930 1,000 910 930 1,000 4 4 4 4 4 
			 Special guardianship order made to former foster carers(6) (10)70 500 770 810 840 (10)- 2 3 3 3 
			 Special guardianship order made to carers other than former foster carers(6) (10)- 260 360 430 420 (10)- 1 1 2 2 
			 Moved into independent living (with supportive accommodation) 2,400 2,400 2,500 2,200 2,300 9 10 10 9 9 
			 Moved into independent living (with no formalised support) 960 940 1,000 1,000 1,000 4 4 4 4 4 
			 Transferred to residential care funded by adult social services 470 500 480 530 470 2 2 2 2 2 
			 Sentenced to custody(7) n/a 250 360 350 310 n/a 1 1 1 1 
			 Care ceased for any other reason 6,100 5,300 5,200 5,700 5,500 24 21 21 23 22 
			
			  Category of need( 8) 25,900 25,000 24,500 25,000 25,100 100 100 100 100 100 
			 Abuse or neglect 12,400 12,000 12,100 12,700 12,800 48 48 50 51 51 
			 Child's disability 850 800 710 770 760 3 3 3 3 3 
			 Parents illness or disability 1,700 1,600 1,400 1,300 1,100 6 6 6 5 5 
			 Family in acute stress 2,800 2,600 2,600 2,500 2,800 11 11 11 10 11 
			 Family dysfunction 3,300 3,300 3,200 3,300 3,600 13 13 13 13 14 
			 Socially unacceptable behaviour 1,500 1,300 1,200 1,100 1,000 6 5 5 4 4 
			 Low income 70 80 50 70 70 - - - - - 
			 Absent parenting 3,300 3,300 3,100 3,300 3,000 13 13 13 13 12 
			
			  Ethnic origin 25,900 25,000 24,500 25,000 25,100 100 100 100 100 100 
			  White 19,100 18,100 17,500 17,300 17,300 74 72 71 69 69 
			 White British 17,900 17,000 16,500 16,300 16,300 69 68 67 65 65 
			 White Irish 200 180 130 150 140 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Traveller of Irish Heritage(9) n/a n/a n/a 10 10 n/a n/a n/a - - 
			 Gypsy/Roma(9) n/a n/a n/a 10 40 n/a n/a n/a - - 
			 Any other White background 980 940 850 830 810 4 4 3 3 3 
			  Mixed 2,000 1,900 2,000 2,000 2,000 8 7 8 8 8 
			 White and Black Caribbean 730 620 670 690 690 3 2 3 3 3 
			 White and Black African 200 180 190 230 240 1 1 1 1 1 
			 White and Asian 270 290 300 340 270 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Any other mixed background 810 760 810 740 810 3 3 3 3 3 
			  Asian or Asian British 1,100 1,300 1,400 1,800 1,800 4 5 6 7 7 
			 Indian 150 150 160 180 160 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Pakistani 270 310 310 410 430 1 1 1 2 2 
			 Bangladeshi 150 170 180 210 250 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Any other Asian background 580 680 760 1,000 920 2 3 3 4 4 
			  Black or Black British 2,800 2,800 2,700 2,700 2,500 11 11 11 11 10 
			 Caribbean 730 670 700 720 710 3 3 3 3 3 
			 African 1,600 1,600 1,500 1,500 1,400 6 6 6 6 6 
			 Any other Black background 480 480 480 430 420 2 2 2 2 2 
			  Other Ethnic groups 790 970 940 1,100 1,200 3 4 4 5 5 
			 Chinese 120 160 130 120 120 - 1 1 - - 
			 Any other ethnic group 670 810 800 1,000 1,100 3 3 3 4 4 
			  Other n/a n/a n/a 130 270 n/a n/a n/a 1 1 
			 Refused(9) n/a n/a n/a 10 20 n/a n/a n/a - - 
			 Information not yet available(9) n/a n/a n/a 120 250 n/a n/a n/a - 1 
			 n/a = not applicable.  - = negligible. Percentage below 0.5%.  (1) Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 100 if they exceed 1,000, and to the nearest 10, otherwise. Percentages have been rounded to the nearest whole number. See Technical Notes for more information on rounding.  (2) Only the last occasion on which a child ceased to be looked-after in the year has been counted.  (3) Figures exclude children looked-after under an agreed series of short-term placements.  (4) Historical data may differ from older publications. This is mainly due to the implementation of amendments and corrections sent by some local authorities after the publication date of previous materials.  (5) Prior to 2006-07, the number of children looked-after who were adopted could not be disaggregated.  (6) In 2005-06 the number of children who ceased to be looked-after due to the granting of a special guardianship order could not be disaggregated.  (7) 'Sentenced to custody' was first collected in 2007.  (8) The most applicable category of the eight "Need Codes" at the time the child started to be looked-after rather than necessarily the entire reason they are looked-after.  (9) Ethnic origin classification collected for the first time in 2009.  (10) Indicates brace.   Source:  SSDA 903.

Business: Education

Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on funding for enterprise education in schools and colleges; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: We have had no discussions to date with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on funding for enterprise education in schools and colleges. Department for Education Ministers are considering the future funding of enterprise education beyond financial year 2010-11 as part of the spending review process.

Children's Centres: Closures

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many  (a) Sure Start children's centres and  (b) other children's centres in each constituency in (i) Greater Manchester and (ii) Lancashire are (A) proposed for closure and (B) under consideration for closure.

Sarah Teather: Children's centres are at the heart of the Government's vision for supporting families with young children and intervening early to prevent problems from becoming crises. That is why the recent spending review announced that there is funding available to maintain the current network of children's centres.
	The Department for Education does not collect data on Sure Start Children's Centres which are proposed for closure or under consideration for closure. However local authorities have duties under the Childcare Act 2006 to consult before opening, closing or significantly changing Sure Start children's centres and to secure sufficient children's centres provision to meet local need.

Children's Centres: Stoke-on-Trent

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much ringfenced funding he has allocated to children's centres in Stoke-on-Trent in 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah Teather: holding answer 9 November 2010
	 The spending review announced that Sure Start funding will be protected in cash terms, including investment in health visitors. This means there is funding to keep the network of Sure Start children's centres as a universal service, whilst ensuring it reaches families in greatest need.
	The hon. Member will appreciate that the Department is now working through the details of the spending review announcements. I am unable to confirm an allocation for Stoke-on-Trent at this time. Allocations for all local authorities will be announced in due course.

Discretionary Learner Support Fund

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the proportion of those students receiving education maintenance in the  (a) £30,  (b) £20 and  (c) £10 bands who would be eligible for financial assistance to undertake a course of study through the discretionary learner support fund in the academic year 2011-12.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 25 November 2010
	Decisions regarding the new discretionary fund will be made locally, enabling schools, colleges and training providers to target support at those young people in greatest need. The Government do not intend to prescribe how many young people should receive support under the new arrangements.
	Current discretionary funds support around 200,000 young people each year. The new fund will be around three times greater than current funds.

Discretionary Learner Support Fund

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assistance his Department plans to provide to further education institutions to administer the discretionary learner support fund in the academic year 2011-12.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 25 November 2010
	We will work with representatives of schools, colleges and training providers to finalise the arrangements for the enhanced discretionary learner support fund, including how the funding will flow to institutions and what guidance is required to administer the fund effectively.

Discretionary Learner Support Fund

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether travel costs for students undertaking a course at a further education institution may be met through the discretionary learner support fund in the 2011-12 academic year.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 25 November 2010
	Discretionary support funding may not currently be used routinely for transport to and from college. The statutory responsibility for making the necessary arrangements for transport to enable 16 to 18-year-olds (and 19 to 25-year-olds with a learning difficulty or disability) to attend education and training lies with local authorities.
	We will consider this restriction as we develop the arrangements for the enhanced discretionary learner support funding.

Discretionary Learner Support Fund

Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what mechanisms are in place to ensure that discretionary learner support fund payments will be made available for eligible students at the start of the next academic year; and what penalties will be imposed in respect of institutions which are unable to meet the commitment to fund students at the start of the academic year.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 25 November 2010
	We plan to allocate the enhanced funding in line with the timetable for overall funding allocations for schools and colleges, which will be made by the end of March.
	We will work with representatives of schools, colleges and training providers to finalise the arrangements for the enhanced fund, including how the funding will flow to institutions and what guidance is required to administer the fund effectively.

Discretionary Learner Support Fund

Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what mechanism will be in place to assist an institution which exhausts its discretionary learner support fund allocation and subsequently deems more students to require funding during the academic year 2011-12.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 25 November 2010
	 We plan to seek the views of education providers as we finalise the details of how the enhanced discretionary learner support fund will operate. We would expect schools, colleges and training providers to use their allocation to target those who most need it to enable them to participate in education.
	Arrangements for the current discretionary learner support fund provide for unused funds to be redistributed to providers which indicate they need more resource.

Discretionary Learner Support Fund

David Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what guidance his Department plans to issue to schools on the allocation of the enhanced discretionary learner support fund.

Nick Gibb: We will work with representatives of schools, colleges and training providers to finalise the arrangements for the enhanced discretionary learner support fund, including how the funding will flow to institutions and what guidance is required to administer the fund effectively.

Education Maintenance Allowance

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of people in each  (a) socio-economic and  (b) ethnic group received education maintenance allowance in each constituency in the latest period for which figures are available.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 29 November 2010
	This is a matter for the Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA) who operate the education maintenance allowance for the Department for Education. Peter Lauener, the YPLA's chief executive, will write to the hon. Member with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Libraries.

Education Maintenance Allowance: Bradford

David Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many students normally resident in Bradford East constituency receive education maintenance allowance.

Nick Gibb: This is a matter for the Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA) who operate the education maintenance allowance for the Department for Education. Peter Lauener the YPLA's chief executive, will write to the hon. Member for Bradford East with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in House Libraries.

Education Maintenance Allowance: Coventry

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many students normally resident in Coventry receive education maintenance allowance; and what estimate he has made of the number who will receive this allowance following implementation of proposals in the comprehensive spending review.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 1 December 2010
	This is a matter for the Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA) who operate the education maintenance allowance for the Department for Education. Peter Lauener the YPLA's chief executive, will write to the hon. Member with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in  Hansard and the House Libraries.

GCE A-level

Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many pupils in further education colleges were entered for  (a) history,  (b) physics,  (c) chemistry,  (d) media studies and  (e) psychology A-levels in each year since 1997; and what proportion this represented of the total number of pupils in such colleges entered for A-levels in each such case.

Nick Gibb: The information requested is given in the following table:
	
		
			  Number and percentage of students in further education colleges entered for selected A-level subjects, 1997-2010 
			   History  Media studies  Psychology  Chemistry  Physics 
			   Number entered for subject  % of those entered for A- levels  Number entered for subject  % of those entered for A- levels  Number entered for subject  % of those entered for A- levels  Number entered for subject  %  of those entered for A- levels  Number entered for subject  % of those entered for A- levels 
			 1997 9,653 11.2 5,649 6.6 14,686 17.1 9,182 10.7 6,750 7.9 
			 1998 8,741 10.3 6,662 7.9 14,441 17.0 9,076 10.7 6,789 8.0 
			 1999 7,983 9.7 6,492 7.9 13,376 16.2 8,413 10.2 6,457 7.8 
			 2000 7,992 10.1 6,660 8.5 13,221 16.8 8,079 10.3 5,903 7.5 
			 2001 8,081 9.5 7,265 8.6 12,034 14.2 7,512 8.9 5,851 6.9 
			 2002 7,895 8.2 8,358 8.6 14,336 14.8 6,773 7.0 5,729 5.9 
			 2003 8,309 8.3 9,231 9.2 16,091 16.0 6,679 6.6 5,295 5.3 
			 2004 8,559 9.1 9,268 9.8 17,341 18.4 6,886 7.3 4,950 5.2 
			 2005 8,899 9.9 8,929 10.0 17,728 19.8 7,443 8.3 4,829 5.4 
			 2006 9,339 11.0 9,172 10.8 18,257 21.5 7,813 9.2 4,769 5.6 
			 2007 9,149 11.7 9,287 11.9 18,394 23.6 8,062 10.3 5,059 6.5 
			 2008 9,631 12.1 9,120 11.5 18,314 23.1 8,374 10.6 5,269 6.6 
			 2009 9,893 12.4 9,424 11.8 17,941 22.5 8,741 11.0 5,354 6.7 
			 2010 10,182 12.4 9,267 11.3 18,827 23.0 9,283 11.3 5,746 7.0 
			  Notes:  1. Figures for 2010 are provisional and are subject to change.  2. Percentages are based upon all students sitting A levels in further education college.

GCSE

Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what number and proportion of pupils achieving five A* to C grades including English and mathematics at GCSE achieved this by including an equivalent qualification in each year since 1997.

Nick Gibb: The number and percentage of pupils achieving five A* to C grades including English and mathematics at GCSE by including an equivalent qualification is given below:
	
		
			   Number of pupils achieving 5 A*-C grades including English and mathematics by including an equivalent qualification  Percentage of pupils achieving 5 A*-C grades including English and mathematics by including an equivalent qualification 
			 1997 75 0.0 
			 1998 113 0.0 
			 1999 304 0.1 
			 2000 350 0.1 
			 2001 596 0.1 
			 2002 1,225 0.2 
			 2003 2,221 0.4 
			 2004 1,671 0.3 
			 2005 2,466 0.4 
			 2006 3,849 0.6 
			 2007 6,662 1.0 
			 2008 8,239 1.3 
			 2009 12,170 1.9 
			 2010(1) 22,726 3.5 
			 (1 )Provisional.   Notes:  1. Figures counted as GCSEs from 1997 include GCSE short courses.  2. Figures counted as GCSEs from 2004 onwards include vocational GCSEs and GCSE double awards.  3. Figures from 1997 to 2004 relate to pupils aged 15 at the start of the academic year.  4. Figures from 2005 onwards are for pupils at the end of Key Stage 4.  5. The English and mathematics components of the published measures relate to GCSEs only. Therefore the pupils in this answer will have passed an equivalent qualification to make up all or part of the other three GCSEs required.

Geography: Education

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of pupils in each local authority were entered for geography  (a) GCSE and  (b) A level in each of the last three years for which information is available.

Nick Gibb: The information requested has been placed in the House Libraries.

Head Teachers: Powers

Marcus Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what powers headteachers have to dismiss poorly performing teachers.

Nick Gibb: Governing bodies working alongside head teachers are required to establish procedures for dealing with lack of capability on the part of staff at the school and may dismiss staff, including teachers, whose performance is unacceptable.
	The current statutory capability guidance overlaps with the mandatory arrangements for the performance management of teachers. We want to make it easier for schools to tackle poor performance. As "The Importance of Teaching-the Schools White Paper 2010" makes clear, we will achieve this by simplifying the current arrangements and removing duplication between the performance management and the capability procedures for managing poor performance. This will allow schools to deal more swiftly and effectively with under-performing teachers.

Pupils: Disadvantaged

Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to reduce the attainment gap between pupils from affluent and poor backgrounds in  (a) South Thanet constituency and  (b) England.

Nick Gibb: Reducing the attainment gap between pupils from affluent and poor backgrounds is at the heart of our policy for school improvement, in South Thanet as elsewhere.
	We have made a clear commitment to narrowing attainment gaps between children from disadvantaged backgrounds and their peers through our recently announced £7.2 billion fairness premium. The fairness premium includes a £2.5 billion pupil premium for schools which will target extra funding at the most disadvantaged pupils wherever they live, reducing educational inequalities and ensuring that poorer students receive the support they need to reach their potential.
	On 3 November, we also announced a new £110 million education endowment fund which will fund new and innovative ways of raising the attainment of disadvantaged pupils in underperforming schools. Lessons learned about what works to raise the attainment of disadvantaged children will be made available to all schools on an ongoing basis, to help inform their pupil premium funding decisions.

Pupils: Hearing Impairment

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent estimate he has made of the number of teachers of the deaf in the south-west; and what assessment he has made of the merits of steps to improve specialist support services for deaf children.

Sarah Teather: We do not routinely collect data about the number of teachers of the deaf by region. Local authorities are responsible for ensuring that teachers of the deaf possess the appropriate mandatory qualification to undertake the role and it is a matter for local authorities to ensure that they have enough qualified teachers to meet their statutory commitments.
	The Government will be publishing a Green Paper on special educational needs and disabilities, which will explore how we can improve support for all children with special educational needs and disabilities, including those with hearing impairments. It is a priority to improve the educational outcomes for all children and we recognise the important role specialists, such as teachers of the deaf, play in meeting this goal.

Schools: Admissions

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what research his Department has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the effects on social inclusion of school admissions policies.

Tim Loughton: The Department has not commissioned or evaluated any research looking at the effects of social inclusion on school admissions policy.
	However, the Department did commission a research project in December 2009 to look at the effect of changes in secondary school admissions on the social composition of schools. This was published on 30 September 2010 and has been placed in the House Libraries.

Special Educational Needs: Pupil Exclusions

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his policy is on the role of  (a) central Government and  (b) local government in the reduction of exclusions from school of children with (i) special educational needs and (ii) autism.

Nick Gibb: The Government are clear that schools should, wherever possible, avoid excluding permanently any pupil with a statement of special educational needs (SEN). Where SEN, including autism, contribute to behavioural difficulties, those needs should be addressed, wherever possible, before problems arise.
	The decision to exclude is one for head teachers to make and head teachers should not be prevented from excluding a child with SEN where that is the necessary and appropriate course of action. In making these difficult decisions, children with SEN should be treated sensitively by schools and the judgment of professionals should be trusted in this matter.
	We are also considering options for changing the arrangements for reviewing permanent exclusions and will announce our decisions in due course.
	Exclusion from school does not mean exclusion from education and local authorities have the duty to provide suitable full-time alternative education for any permanently excluded pupil of compulsory school age from the sixth day of the exclusion. The Government are currently developing policies to improve the environment in which excluded pupils are educated and to ensure that those organisations with a proven track record in turning young lives round are given the opportunity to expand their provision.

Discretionary Learner Support Fund

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education with what frequency payments to students from the discretionary learner support fund will be made in the academic year 2011-12.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 29 November 2010
	Decisions regarding the new discretionary fund will be made locally, enabling schools, colleges and training providers to target support at those young people in greatest need. They will have the freedom to determine how frequently payments are made, and for what purpose.
	In finalising the arrangements for the enhanced discretionary learner support fund, the Department will consult with schools, colleges and training organisations, including on what guidance is required to administer the fund effectively.

Teachers: Qualifications

Simon Danczuk: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the number of unqualified staff teaching lessons in schools in each local education authority area; what assessment he has made of effects of the number of unqualified staff on levels of unemployment among newly-qualified teachers; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	With the exception of some overseas-trained teachers, maintained schools may only employ unqualified teachers as long as no suitable qualified or trainee teacher is available to fill the post. This allows maintained schools to cover exceptional temporary shortages, while ensuring that the employment of unqualified teachers does not affect the employment prospects of qualified teachers.
	
		
			  Full-time equivale nt regular teachers (excluding occasionals) in local authority( 1)  maintained schools by phase, local authorities and Government office regions, January 2010, England 
			   Nursery and primary  Secondary 
			   Qualified  Unqualified( 2)  Total  Qualified  Unqualified( 2)  Total 
			  England 197,000 3,860 200,860 201,240 9,020 210,260 
			
			 Gateshead 760 - 770 830 10 840 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 950 10 960 990 20 1,010 
			 North Tyneside 630 10 640 910 10 920 
			 South Tyneside 530 - 530 670 10 680 
			 Sunderland 1,260 10 1,280 1,100 40 1,140 
			 Hartlepool 410 - 410 410 20 430 
			 Middlesbrough 660 - 660 380 - 380 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 560 20 570 640 30 660 
			 Stockton on Tees 780 10 790 770 20 790 
			 Durham 1,910 10 1,920 2,020 70 2,090 
			 Darlington 400 - 410 350 10 360 
			 Northumberland 880 10 890 1,590 30 1,610 
			  North-east 9,730 90 9,810 10,640 280 10,920 
			
			 Cumbria 1,930 20 1,950 2,020 30 2,060 
			 Cheshire East 1,280 10 1,280 1,460 10 1,470 
			 Cheshire West and Chester 1,200 10 1,210 1,320 20 1,340 
			 Halton 510 - 510 510 10 520 
			 Warrington 840 10 850 930 20 950 
			 Bolton 1,100 10 1,110 1,120 40 1,170 
			 Bury 750 10 760 720 10 730 
			 Manchester 1,920 50 1,970 1,380 70 1,450 
			 Oldham 1,040 20 1,060 1,100 30 1,140 
			 Rochdale 910 10 920 840 50 890 
			 Salford 890 20 900 680 30 710 
			 Stockport 1,090 10 1,100 930 10 930 
			 Tameside 910 10 920 800 20 820 
			 Trafford 840 10 840 990 20 1,010 
			 Wigan 1,200 10 1,200 1,340 10 1,350 
			 Lancashire 4,510 30 4,530 4,590 80 4,670 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 710 - 720 600 20 620 
			 Blackpool 590 10 590 530 10 530 
			 Knowsley 670 - 680 570 20 590 
			 Liverpool 1,800 10 1,810 1,970 30 2,000 
			 St Helens 670 - 680 730 - 730 
			 Sefton 1,030 10 1,040 1,300 30 1,320 
			 Wirral 1,180 10 1,190 1,610 30 1,640 
			  North-west 27,560 260 27,820 28,050 610 28,650 
			
			 Kingston upon Hull, City of 1,010 40 1,040 770 100 870 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 1,200 10 1,210 1,410 60 1,470 
			 North East Lincolnshire 600 - 600 420 20 440 
			 North Lincolnshire 600 10 610 570 30 600 
			 North Yorkshire 2,140 30 2,170 2,570 70 2,650 
			 York 580 10 590 700 20 720 
			 Barnsley 830 10 830 770 20 800 
			 Doncaster 1,200 20 1,220 1,170 60 1,230 
			 Rotherham 1,090 10 1,100 1,340 30 1,370 
			 Sheffield 1,900 40 1,940 1,760 100 1,860 
			 Bradford 2,520 20 2,540 2,020 70 2,090 
			 Calderdale 750 100 850 720 230 940 
			 Kirklees 1,730 20 1,750 1,700 40 1,740 
			 Leeds 2,860 20 2,890 2,830 30 2,860 
			 Wakefield 1,230 20 1,250 1,250 50 1,300 
			  Yorkshire and the Humber 20,250 340 20,590 19,990 940 20,930 
			
			 Derbyshire 2,760 20 2,790 3,120 80 3,210 
			 Derby 970 20 990 980 30 1,010 
			 Leicestershire 2,300 40 2,340 2,740 130 2,870 
			 Leicester 1,360 20 1,380 1,180 70 1,240 
			 Rutland 120 - 130 140 - 140 
			 Lincolnshire 2,410 70 2,470 2,940 220 3,160 
			 Northamptonshire 2,740 40 2,780 2,580 120 2,700 
			 Nottinghamshire 2,790 60 2,840 3,200 150 3,360 
			 Nottingham 1,070 10 1,090 650 40 700 
			  E ast m idlands 16,530 270 16,800 17,530 840 18,370 
			
			 Herefordshire 640 - 640 650 20 660 
			 Worcestershire 1,940 10 1,950 2,400 70 2,460 
			 Shropshire 920 10 930 1,080 40 1,120 
			 Telford and Wrekin 620 10 630 580 20 600 
			 Staffordshire 2,910 60 2,970 3,730 150 3,880 
			 Stoke on Trent 890 20 920 890 40 920 
			 Warwickshire 1,880 20 1,900 2,120 90 2,210 
			 Birmingham 5,420 120 5,540 4,500 460 4,960 
			 Coventry 1,300 10 1,310 1,330 90 1,420 
			 Dudley 1,320 10 1,330 1,310 30 1,340 
			 Sandwell 1,350 10 1,350 1,040 10 1,050 
			 Solihull 900 10 910 860 30 900 
			 Walsall 1,190 10 1,200 1,150 50 1,210 
			 Wolverhampton 1,080 10 1,090 1,070 60 1,120 
			  West midlands 22,350 310 22,670 22,720 1,150 23,870 
			
			 Cambridgeshire 2,170 30 2,200 2,050 140 2,190 
			 Peterborough 760 20 770 570 40 610 
			 Norfolk 2,870 80 2,950 2,960 220 3,180 
			 Suffolk 2,220 10 2,230 3,280 120 3,390 
			 Bedford Borough 480 10 490 940 50 1,000 
			 Central Bedfordshire 900 30 930 1,450 50 1,500 
			 Luton 930 30 960 660 50 720 
			 Essex 4,940 90 5,030 5,160 330 5,500 
			 Southend on Sea 650 50 700 820 140 960 
			 Thurrock 620 30 650 380 50 430 
			 Hertfordshire 4,550 100 4,650 5,260 280 5,540 
			  East of England 21,080 470 21,560 23,540 1,470 25,010 
			
			  London 30,370 1,460 31,830 27,630 1,720 29,350 
			
			 Camden 570 40 610 750 20 770 
			 City of London 10 - 20 - - - 
			 Hackney 940 50 990 450 20 470 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 460 30 490 340 30 370 
			 Haringey 1,000 40 1,040 830 60 900 
			 Islington 740 50 790 490 20 510 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 380 50 430 230 20 260 
			 Lambeth 1,140 50 1,200 660 30 690 
			 Lewisham 930 20 950 740 60 800 
			 Newham 1,560 60 1,620 1,280 50 1,330 
			 Southwark 1,100 100 1,210 390 40 430 
			 Tower Hamlets 1,220 100 1,320 1,130 70 1,200 
			 Wandsworth 970 50 1,020 740 50 790 
			 Westminster 600 50 640 420 30 450 
			  Inner London 11,630 690 12,320 8,440 520 8,960 
			
			 Barking and Dagenham 840 40 880 870 70 930 
			 Barnet 1,300 120 1,430 1,380 170 1,550 
			 Bexley 850 - 860 1,050 30 1,080 
			 Brent 1,060 40 1,110 1,040 90 1,120 
			 Bromley 1,100 20 1,120 1,440 110 1,550 
			 Croydon 1,360 50 1,400 1,010 70 1,080 
			 Ealing 1,210 60 1,270 1,100 50 1,150 
			 Enfield 1,400 60 1,460 1,380 60 1,440 
			 Greenwich 1,060 20 1,080 970 70 1,040 
			 Harrow 930 60 980 720 40 760 
			 Havering 880 20 900 1,050 100 1,140 
			 Hillingdon 1,180 30 1,210 1,130 70 1,190 
			 Hounslow 900 20 920 1,130 40 1,180 
			 Kingston upon Thames 580 20 600 650 30 680 
			 Merton 670 40 710 400 10 410 
			 Redbridge 1,100 70 1,170 1,390 100 1,490 
			 Richmond upon Thames 630 10 650 450 20 470 
			 Sutton 690 20 710 1,110 30 1,150 
			 Waltham Forest 990 50 1,040 920 50 960 
			  Outer London 18,750 770 19,510 19,190 1,200 20,390 
			
			 Bracknell Forest 420 10 420 400 20 420 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 430 10 440 650 50 700 
			 West Berkshire 650 10 660 830 50 880 
			 Reading 530 10 540 380 20 390 
			 Slough 580 30 620 620 50 670 
			 Wokingham 610 10 620 730 20 740 
			 Buckinghamshire 2,020 30 2,050 2,050 100 2,150 
			 Milton Keynes 1,090 30 1,120 990 70 1,060 
			 East Sussex 1,630 40 1,670 1,660 80 1,740 
			 Brighton and Hove 800 10 810 790 20 820 
			 Hampshire 4,750 20 4,770 4,500 50 4,550 
			 Portsmouth 680 - 690 540 40 580 
			 Southampton 810 - 810 600 20 620 
			 Isle of Wight 310 10 330 710 40 750 
			 Kent 5,530 90 5,620 5,790 470 6,260 
			 Medway 1,110 20 1,130 1,170 90 1,260 
			 Oxfordshire 2,320 40 2,360 2,250 110 2,360 
			 Surrey 3,750 40 3,780 3,680 140 3,820 
			 West Sussex 2,810 40 2,850 2,570 50 2,630 
			  South-east 30,840 450 31,290 30,910 1,480 32,400 
			
			 Isles of Scilly 30 - 30 - - - 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 600 - 600 730 10 740 
			 City of Bristol 1,500 20 1,520 830 50 880 
			 North Somerset 710 - 720 830 10 840 
			 South Gloucestershire 1,000 - 1,000 1,020 10 1,030 
			 Cornwall 1,870 60 1,930 2,080 110 2,190 
			 Devon 2,590 10 2,600 2,690 50 2,740 
			 Plymouth 870 10 880 1,050 40 1,090 
			 Torbay 430 10 440 550 10 560 
			 Dorset 1,240 10 1,250 1,910 40 1,950 
			 Poole 490 - 490 570 10 580 
			 Bournemouth 460 10 470 600 40 640 
			 Gloucestershire 2,140 20 2,150 2,750 40 2,790 
			 Somerset 1,770 20 1,790 1,960 50 2,010 
			 Wiltshire 1,730 30 1,770 1,970 30 2,000 
			 Swindon 850 10 860 670 40 710 
			  South-west 18,290 200 18,490 20,230 530 20,760 
		
	
	
		
			   Special and non-school education  Total 
			   Qualified  Unqualified( 2)  Total  Qualified  Unqualified( 2)  Total 
			  England 20,120 1,470 21,590 418,360 14,360 432,720 
			
			 Gateshead 100 - 100 1,690 10 1,710 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 130 10 130 2,070 40 2,100 
			 North Tyneside 90 - 90 1,630 20 1,650 
			 South Tyneside 70 - 70 1,270 10 1,280 
			 Sunderland 110 - 110 2,470 60 2,530 
			 Hartlepool 30 10 40 850 30 890 
			 Middlesbrough 70 10 70 1,110 10 1,120 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 50 - 50 1,240 50 1,290 
			 Stockton on Tees 70 - 70 1,610 30 1,640 
			 Durham 190 10 200 4,120 80 4,200 
			 Darlington 40 10 50 790 20 820 
			 Northumberland 80 10 90 2,550 40 2,590 
			  North-east 1,030 50 1,080 21,400 420 21,820 
			
			 Cumbria 200 - 200 4,150 60 4,210 
			 Cheshire East 50 - 50 2,790 20 2,800 
			 Cheshire West and Chester 130 - 130 2,650 30 2,680 
			 Halton 50 - 50 1,070 10 1,080 
			 Warrington 60 - 60 1,830 30 1,860 
			 Bolton 110 - 110 2,330 60 2,390 
			 Bury 70 10 80 1,540 30 1,570 
			 Manchester 220 - 220 3,520 120 3,640 
			 Oldham 60 - 70 2,210 60 2,270 
			 Rochdale 110 10 120 1,860 70 1,930 
			 Salford 150 10 150 1,710 50 1,760 
			 Stockport 120 - 120 2,140 10 2,150 
			 Tameside 100 - 100 1,810 30 1,840 
			 Trafford 100 10 100 1,920 30 1,960 
			 Wigan 220 - 220 2,750 20 2,770 
			 Lancashire 490 10 500 9,590 110 9,700 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 110 - 120 1,430 30 1,460 
			 Blackpool 50 - 50 1,170 10 1,180 
			 Knowsley 120 10 130 1,360 40 1,400 
			 Liverpool 200 - 200 3,970 50 4,010 
			 St Helens 110 - 110 1,510 10 1,520 
			 Sefton 90 10 110 2,420 50 2,470 
			 Wirral 150 10 150 2,940 40 2,980 
			  North-west 3,040 100 3,150 58,650 970 59,620 
			
			 Kingston upon Hull, City of 110 10 110 1,890 140 2,030 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 110 - 120 2,730 60 2,790 
			 North East Lincolnshire 40 - 40 1,060 20 1,080 
			 North Lincolnshire 40 - 40 1,210 40 1,260 
			 North Yorkshire 170 - 180 4,880 100 4,990 
			 York 50 - 50 1,330 20 1,360 
			 Barnsley 50 - 50 1,660 30 1,680 
			 Doncaster 130 10 140 2,490 80 2,580 
			 Rotherham 130 10 140 2,560 50 2,610 
			 Sheffield 300 - 300 3,960 150 4,100 
			 Bradford 190 10 190 4,720 100 4,820 
			 Calderdale 40 - 40 1,500 330 1,840 
			 Kirklees 130 - 140 3,570 60 3,630 
			 Leeds 150 - 150 5,840 60 5,900 
			 Wakefield 110 - 120 2,590 70 2,670 
			  Yorkshire and the Humber 1,770 50 1,820 42,000 1,330 43,330 
			
			 Derbyshire 180 10 190 6,060 120 6,180 
			 Derby 80 - 80 2,030 50 2,080 
			 Leicestershire 180 40 210 5,220 210 5,420 
			 Leicester 150 - 160 2,690 90 2,780 
			 Rutland - - - 260 - 270 
			 Lincolnshire 420 40 460 5,770 320 6,090 
			 Northamptonshire 230 30 270 5,560 180 5,740 
			 Nottinghamshire 270 10 280 6,260 220 6,480 
			 Nottingham 140 - 140 1,860 60 1,920 
			  East m idlands 1,650 130 1,780 35,710 1,250 36,960 
			
			 Herefordshire 60 - 70 1,350 20 1,370 
			 Worcestershire 210 10 220 4,540 90 4,630 
			 Shropshire 100 20 120 2,100 70 2,170 
			 Telford and Wrekin 100 - 100 1,300 30 1,330 
			 Staffordshire 350 90 430 6,990 290 7,280 
			 Stoke on Trent 100 - 110 1,880 60 1,950 
			 Warwickshire 240 40 280 4,250 160 4,400 
			 Birmingham 730 50 780 10,650 630 11,280 
			 Coventry 310 10 320 2,940 110 3,050 
			 Dudley 130 20 150 2,760 60 2,820 
			 Sandwell 110 - 110 2,490 20 2,510 
			 Solihull 140 - 150 1,900 50 1,950 
			 Walsall 110 - 120 2,460 70 2,530 
			 Wolverhampton 140 - 140 2,280 70 2,350 
			  West m idlands 2,830 260 3,090 47,910 1,720 49,620 
			
			 Cambridgeshire 250 50 300 4,470 210 4,690 
			 Peterborough 70 10 80 1,400 60 1,460 
			 Norfolk 290 20 300 6,120 320 6,440 
			 Suffolk 210 10 220 5,700 150 5,850 
			 Bedford Borough 100 - 110 1,530 70 1,600 
			 Central Bedfordshire 360 10 370 2,710 90 2,800 
			 Luton 40 - 50 1,630 90 1,720 
			 Essex 300 40 330 10,400 460 10,860 
			 Southend on Sea 70 20 90 1,540 200 1,740 
			 Thurrock 50 - 50 1,050 80 1,120 
			 Hertfordshire 540 30 570 10,360 400 10,760 
			  East of England 2,290 180 2,460 46,910 2,120 49,030 
			
			  London 2,600 300 2,890 60,600 3,480 64,080 
			
			 Camden 70 10 80 1,390 80 1,470 
			 City of London - - - 10 - 20 
			 Hackney 50 - 50 1,430 80 1,510 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 90 10 100 890 60 950 
			 Haringey 80 - 90 1,910 110 2,020 
			 Islington 80 10 80 1,300 70 1,380 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 30 - 30 640 70 720 
			 Lambeth 90 10 110 1,900 100 2,000 
			 Lewisham 110 - 110 1,790 70 1,860 
			 Newham 30 - 30 2,870 120 2,990 
			 Southwark 90 20 110 1,580 170 1,740 
			 Tower Hamlets 120 20 140 2,470 190 2,650 
			 Wandsworth 140 30 170 1,850 140 1,990 
			 Westminster 20 - 30 1,030 80 1,120 
			  Inner London 1,000 120 1,120 21,060 1,340 22,400 
			
			 Barking and Dagenham 40 10 50 1,750 120 1,870 
			 Barnet 90 10 110 2,780 310 3,090 
			 Bexley 130 10 130 2,030 40 2,070 
			 Brent 60 10 70 2,170 140 2,300 
			 Bromley 90 - 100 2,630 140 2,770 
			 Croydon 180 20 200 2,550 140 2,690 
			 Ealing 110 10 120 2,420 120 2,530 
			 Enfield 120 10 130 2,890 140 3,030 
			 Greenwich 100 20 120 2,140 110 2,250 
			 Harrow 60 20 70 1,700 120 1,820 
			 Havering 40 - 50 1,970 120 2,100 
			 Hillingdon 100 - 110 2,410 100 2,520 
			 Hounslow 110 - 110 2,150 60 2,210 
			 Kingston upon Thames 30 10 40 1,260 60 1,320 
			 Merton 30 - 30 1,110 50 1,150 
			 Redbridge 120 30 150 2,610 200 2,810 
			 Richmond upon Thames 40 10 50 1,130 40 1,160 
			 Sutton 50 10 60 1,860 60 1,920 
			 Waltham Forest 70 - 80 1,980 100 2,080 
			  Outer London 1,600 170 1,770 39,540 2,140 41,680 
			
			 Bracknell Forest 30 - 30 850 30 880 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 40 - 40 1,120 60 1,180 
			 West Berkshire 50 - 50 1,530 60 1,590 
			 Reading 40 - 40 940 30 970 
			 Slough 50 20 80 1,250 110 1,360 
			 Wokingham 50 - 60 1,390 30 1,420 
			 Buckinghamshire 210 10 220 4,280 150 4,420 
			 Milton Keynes 110 10 120 2,190 100 2,290 
			 East Sussex 160 30 190 3,460 150 3,600 
			 Brighton and Hove 190 10 200 1,780 40 1,820 
			 Hampshire 360 - 360 9,620 70 9,690 
			 Portsmouth 90 10 100 1,320 50 1,370 
			 Southampton 70 - 70 1,480 20 1,500 
			 Isle of Wight 50 10 50 1,070 60 1,130 
			 Kent 640 70 710 11,960 640 12,600 
			 Medway 110 20 130 2,390 120 2,510 
			 Oxfordshire 270 60 330 4,830 220 5,050 
			 Surrey 410 10 420 7,840 190 8,030 
			 West Sussex 350 - 350 5,730 90 5,830 
			  South-east 3,270 280 3,550 65,030 2,210 67,230 
			
			 Isles of Scilly - - - 30 - 30 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 70 - 70 1,400 10 1,410 
			 City of Bristol 140 60 200 2,470 130 2,600 
			 North Somerset 80 - 80 1,620 20 1,640 
			 South Gloucestershire 80 - 80 2,090 20 2,110 
			 Cornwall 120 - 130 4,070 170 4,240 
			 Devon 160 - 170 5,450 60 5,510 
			 Plymouth 110 - 110 2,030 40 2,070 
			 Torbay 80 10 80 1,060 20 1,080 
			 Dorset 70 30 90 3,220 70 3,300 
			 Poole 40 - 50 1,100 10 1,120 
			 Bournemouth 40 - 40 1,110 50 1,150 
			 Gloucestershire 210 10 220 5,090 60 5,160 
			 Somerset 200 - 200 3,930 70 4,010 
			 Wiltshire 150 - 150 3,860 60 3,920 
			 Swindon 90 10 90 1,610 50 1,660 
			  South-west 1,640 120 1,760 40,150 860 41,020 
			 - = Negligible.  (1) Maintained sector only. Teachers in academies (including those that were previously maintained schools) are not included.  (2) Includes instructors, overseas trained teachers and teachers on employment-based routes to qualified teacher status (Graduate Teacher programme, the Registered Teachers programme, the Overseas Trained Teachers programme and the Teach First scheme).   Note:  Totals may not appear equal to the sum of the component parts because of rounding.   Source:  618g survey and School Workforce Census.